One year after Riverside County Sheriff Stanley Sniff and Soboba Tribal Chairman Robert Salgado clinked water glasses and vowed to move past the violent conflict that had arisen between deputies and tribal members, both sides are saying relations have improved.

The relationship between the tribe and the Sheriff's Department broke down last year after shootouts with deputies killed three tribal members on the reservation north of San Jacinto in May 2008.

The road has been rocky at times, but the tribe and sheriff's officials now say outreach programs and the agreement of understanding that was cemented with the toast one year ago today have helped erase any memory of ill feelings.

"We get along with the sheriff the same as we did last year. We always got along," Salgado said in an interview last month. At the peak of the conflict last summer, Salgado had compared sheriff's officials to Gen. George Custer.

Two months after the shootings, Salgado and Sniff signed a memorandum of understanding, vowing in July to work together. But within days, that goodwill evaporated as the tribe set a policy to block deputies trying to enter the reservation -- and Sniff responded with a threat that deputies would arrest anyone impeding access.

Tribal leaders rejected the department's point of view and said federal law gave them more sovereignty.

Sniff also asked the National Indian Gaming Commission to suspend the Soboba Casino's license until deputies were given unrestricted access, which the commission declined to do after a review.

A blistering exchange of words in public forums ensued throughout August.

But behind closed doors, the two sides hashed out a plan to better understand each other.

"A year ago there were some trust issues on both sides," said Riverside County sheriff's Lt. Patricia Knudson, who also serves as the sheriff's liaison to the Soboba tribe. "We both realized we needed to enhance our cultural awareness."

Reconciling

The key to healing the damaged relationship was opening the lines of communication, Knudson said.

Prior to the shootings, there was no direct contact between the Sheriff's Department and the tribe to discuss issues on the reservation or when deputies would respond, Knudson said.

There are now mechanisms in place to allow the two sides to speak openly, Knudson said.

The sheriff's Tribal Liaison Unit, established in August, has been working with all tribes and sheriff's stations in Riverside County. Furthermore, the Sheriff's Department and Soboba tribe agreed to return to the pact signed last July that stipulated they would meet regularly to come to a cultural understanding.

They've held potluck meet-and-greets, cultural nights and a disaster-preparedness exercise.

That return to the July pact was made possible after the Sheriff's Department and the tribe negotiated to allow marked patrol cars unrestricted access when responding to a call for service or when in hot pursuit. All unmarked officers now identify themselves, and they're waved through, Sniff said.

"There was not a tipping point, but it was about working out those communications issues," Knudson said. "And ... through those meetings and dialogue, we were able to turn that corner where we are today."

Changes

For example, last month, sheriff's deputies responded to a report of shots fired on the border of the reservation, which turned out to be teens target shooting legally.

Sheriff's officials were able to contact tribal leaders to notify them that patrol cars and a helicopter were heading to the reservation, Knudson said. In the past, sheriff's vehicles entered the reservation without notice, causing a stir among the tribal community, she said.

Since the outreach efforts and team-building exercises between the department and the tribe, the Sheriff's Department has seen an increase in calls for service on the reservation, Knudson said. She attributed it to tribal members feel more comfortable reaching out when in need.

Sniff said the two sides have built a stronger relationship and a greater understanding of issues like sacred ground and the tribe's cultures.

"At the beginning, we probably didn't do as good a job as we could have," he said. "Now the service is more readily accessible. We're available and involved where they need us. We're not just outsiders."

Soboba leaders say the efforts have bridged the distance between the tribe and deputies.

"There was a perception we might not trust the Sheriff's Department, and that's not true," Tribal Secretary Rose Salgado said this spring. "Since we were able to increase that dialogue, that perception has diminished."

Ongoing issues

While both sides tout the progress they have made, some issues remain unresolved surrounding the deaths that set off the conflict.

Wrongful death claims have been filed in court against Riverside County in the fatal shootings of Eli Morillo, Tamara Angela Hurtado and Joseph Arres.

Morillo was killed May 8 when deputies went to the reservation to investigate gunfire there and said they found themselves under attack. Four days later, SWAT officers who said they were fired upon killed Hurtado and Arres.

The Riverside County district attorney's office ruled late last month that the officers who shot Morillo were justified in using lethal force and acted in self-defense, said Assistant District Attorney Chuck Hughes. The investigation into the second shooting is ongoing, Hughes said.

Still, the tone of public dialogue between Sniff and Soboba leaders has changed in recent months.

"The tribe has bent over backward in being cooperative to all law enforcement agencies," Sniff said recently. "From last summer on, there has been no issue. Our relationship has warmed considerably since those events. Both sides have been working side by side to form a great relationship."

Reach John Asbury at 951-763-3451 or jasbury@PE.com