15 April 10th-April 16th, 2025 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | WHAT HAPPENS WHEN LIAISONS FAIL? Even after Ron Blake finally gained the clarity and bravery to sit down with Det. Smith, he still had a hard time trusting police. Years passed without significant move- ment in his case or clear communication about what was going on. The updates he did receive were often riddled with inaccu- racies, he said. In 2023, he learned his case had been closed since 2021. Emails show that no one with Phoenix police — including the liaison assigned to his case — had informed him. During his long and ongoing quest for justice, Blake said the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence did what Phoenix police’s liaison should have been doing. The organization helped Blake get in touch with the Family Advocacy Center and set up a meeting with the Phoenix police brass to discuss making changes addressing LGBTQ+ bias and sexual assault cases. Blake said two police representatives verbally acknowledged that he was treated differently because he was gay and assured him that they would make changes. But as far as Blake knows, no changes were ever explored. LOOKOUT and New Times have reached out to the Phoenix police’s current LGBTQ+ liaisons, Dets. Gary Nelson and Trey Sueing, for information regarding Blake’s case as well as training information on their liaison program. They have not responded. It’s not uncommon for organizations to step in when police fail. In 2023, Epona Rose was arrested for assault in Flagstaff after defending herself against a group of men who allegedly threatened and sexu- ally harassed her while making trans- phobic remarks. LOOKOUT’s reporting showed that Flagstaff police continuously misgendered her and held her in a men’s jail. Despite multiple protests, Flagstaff’s liaison never got involved in the case nor publicly acknowledged any issues. Flagstaff Queer Collective was among the groups that rallied to Rose’s case. Ben Nicholas, the group’s director, said that Rose’s story was one reason the group was open to creating a relationship with Flagstaff police, which approached FQC in January as part of their efforts to develop their own Citizen Advisory Board. In June 2024, new Flagstaff Police Chief Sean Connolly came on board and almost immediately began working to develop a Citizen Advisory Board similar to the one he had participated in during his time with Phoenix police. When asked about the critiques the department received about the police response to Epona Rose’s arrest, he said that he was not aware of it and would look into the situation. Notably, a member of Flagstaff Queer Collective told LOOKOUT and New Times that Connolly gave the same response to them two months earlier when the group pressed him on the subject. According to the department’s public information officer, Sgt. Jerry Rintala, the LGBTQ+ Citizen Advisory Board is sched- uled to launch within the next 30 to 60 days. In the meantime, Connolly said he has continuously been building and main- taining connections with community members, including Flagstaff Queer Collective. “When we have these conversations, I want to hear of things that are collabora- tive and ways we can all generate safety and wellness,” Connolly said. “I’d be incredibly disappointed if (my depart- ment) was indifferent to an LGBTQ+ victim. There’s work to be done, and we know that.” The queer community steps in when police don’t do their job, but what gaps exist when LGBTQ+ liaisons don’t exist to begin with? It’s unclear exactly how many cities in Arizona do or don’t have LGBTQ+ liaisons. What is clear is that police responses to queer victims of crime, as well as their presence at certain events, aren’t always satisfactory. In 2023, a gay couple in Queen Creek said the pride flag outside their home was repeatedly vandalized and that people screamed homophobic slurs at them. They filed two police reports, but still received a letter from their homeowner’s association restricting their flag from being displayed. Anti-LGBTQ+ graffiti was spray painted on neighborhood walls. The pair eventu- ally moved for their safety. The Queen Creek Police Department does not have an LGBTQ+ liaison. Neither does the Pinal County Sheriff’s Department, where portions of Queen Creek are located. Pinal County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Sam Salzwedel told LOOKOUT and New Times they do not have a designated liaison for the LGBTQ+ community or any others because they “protect everybody in the county equally and do not believe in showing preferential treatment.” In Cottonwood, a rural town in the Verde Valley region of Arizona, Proud Boys, Oathkeepers and other white and Christian nationalist groups crashed a charity drag show event in Cottonwood, shouting slurs and leaving attendees on edge. Local organizers said police did nothing to intervene. Cottonwood’s department has a terrorism liaison, but not one for LGBTQ+ people. Such incidents give queer residents pause. According to Greg Miraglia, a former law enforcement professional who co-founded Out to Protect, the nation’s only non-profit LGBTQ+ police liaison accreditation program, staffing community liaisons is a step toward ensuring equal protection under the law and building trust in law enforcement. But until Miraglia began his program in 2023, police departments in Arizona and elsewhere lacked formal procedures for establishing an LGBTQ+ liaison. Agencies that choose to create liaison positions decide for themselves what they should do. Across Arizona’s 10 largest cities The relationship between law enforcement and the LGBTQ+ community in Arizona has been fraught for decades. (Sean Holstege) Silent Treatment from p 12 >> p 17
