After a nearly yearlong nationwide search, the Gila River Police Department has recently named its next police chief. The final candidate with almost three decades of experience is coming from neighboring Gilbert.
Lately, the Gila River Indian Community — south of Phoenix — has been grappling with teen gang violence. And that’s something Michael Angstead has dealt with during his six-year stint as Gilbert’s assistant chief of police where he oversaw the department’s investigations bureau.
Most notably, the killing of 16-year-old Preston Lord in Queen Creek. Multiple East Valley teenagers — infamously known as the “Gilbert Goons” — have been prosecuted.
The Phoenix-born law enforcement professional has been with the Gilbert Police Department since 1998.
Before that, Angstead worked for the Arizona Department of Corrections. He was a juvenile probation officer with Pinal County Superior Court, too. Angstead also holds a B.S. in Justice Studies from Arizona State University and a M.A. in Public Administration from Park University.
In a statement, Angstead shared that serving the Valley tribe is a job that involves much more than merely enforcing laws, “it means protecting Tribal sovereignty, honoring the Community’s culture and traditions, safeguarding its lands and resources, and building relationships founded on trust.”
“I have already seen the strength, pride, and resilience of the Community,” said Angstead, “and I know that together, we can continue creating a place where every member feels safe, secure, and protected.”
Like Gilbert, the Gila River Indian Community has relied on youth curfews in hopes to curb violent crime. The town still enforces the ordinance, while GRIC Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis let his yearlong executive order lapse in March.
Banishing tribal members is also being considered as a possible remedy.
Last July, KJZZ first reported that Angstead’s predecessor, Jesse Crabtree, was fired just days after a six-hour town hall to address concerns over rising criminal activity across the nearly 600-square-mile reservation.
