Special report about violent crime in Tulsa

TULSA - As of Thursday morning, there have been 38 homicides in the city of Tulsa this year.

Following the record of 71 in 2009.

Many times Tulsa homicide detectives say they know who their suspect is, they run into trouble when it comes time to make an arrest.

"When you see something like that happen it's gonna be ingrained in your memory for life," said Jason Trent.

Trent's 18 year-old son, Jake, was shot and killed more than a year ago.

Police say Jake was an innocent victim of a gang related shooting.

So far, no one has been charged, but Trent says there were witnesses to the crime.

"There was a man who seen it happen, he saw them running away from the scene, but two days later, he can't remember nothing," said Trent.

Police say that's a trend in the city's unsolved homicide cases.

"I would say probably 99% of the homicides, if someone would come forward, would say what they know, we would probably solve those homicides," said Officer Leland Ashley with the Tulsa Police Department.

Without a witness, police say its more difficult to positively identify a suspect, make an arrest and build a case.

"That's frustrating to the detectives, when we know that individuals out there have information but they are refusing to give it to us because of the "no snitch" mentality," said Ashley.

Investigators say there are a couple of reasons potential witnesses won't speak.

"A sense of fear, a sense of revenge, they want to get justice on their own," said Tulsa resident, Sabian Black.

Black is a self proclaimed gang member.

"It's the only sense of unity I got right now," he says.

His reasoning for the "no snitch" mentality mirrors that of investigators.

While police can't connect the "no-snitch" policy to gangs, Jake Trent's father says it's one in the same.

"You know it's definite, you know, it's gang activity," said Trent.

Both can agree, encouraging more residents to speak out about violent crimes is the key to stopping them before they happen.

"You might as well have pulled the trigger, you're no better than the murderer when you refuse to talk," said Trent.

Tulsa police do solve more than 80% of the city's homicides.