OILTON, Okla. — City of Oilton finds itself repairing another public safety hole, choosing to downsize its overall police force after several officers resigned in the last couple weeks.
"With the administration change, some officers weren't comfortable staying here, and that's fine," Interim Mayor Julia Bagwell told 2 News after the Feb. 10 city council meeting. "If they don't want to work here, we don't want them here."
2 News reported on Jan. 29 that recently-promoted police chief Chris Kirkpatrick resigned after just 107 days to find a job out of town.
- Previous coverage>>> Gone after 107 days, Oilton loses another police chief
Since then, Officer Cameron Williams has served in an interim role, making him at least the eighth Oilton police chief this decade.
The city council voted to accept resignations of one full-time officer who also recently stepped down, plus three other reserve officers.
Going forward, the interim mayor said the police department will employ just two full-time members and five reserve officers, with Creek County Sheriff's Office helping when needed.
"With our two full-times I feel like putting them on a salary is going to be our best option," Bagwell said. "And that's just to make sure that they're operating at their best and we are operating at our best."
"Change isn’t always easy, but it’s necessary. We’re taking steady, intentional steps to restore stability, improve transparency, and keep Oilton moving in the right direction."
Bagwell said police staffing will remain sufficient on weekends and special events.
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