TULSA, Okla. — The Feb. 12 City Council meeting included something unusual. An open forum for anyone to propose changes to the city charter.
Eight people addressed the council, all asking for the same thing: an independent monitor's office for the Tulsa Police Department.
“They should be able to meaningfully investigate police records and issue policy recommendations. Not only would this office save taxpayer money, in the long run, but it would increase public trust in our law enforcement,” Hudson Harder said, speaking in favor of a potential OIM.
The idea for an OIM has come and gone over the years. Former mayor Bynum proposed it during his administration. Through those discussions came a citizens’ advisory board related to TPD.
2 News Oklahoma spoke with Jeff Downs, the president of the Tulsa Fraternal Order of Police. He declined comment on an OIM – as there are no official plans for one – but did speak on current ways TPD is kept accountable.
“Personally, the reason I like [the advisory board] is that you get the citizens’ point of view on police tactics, and police events that happen in the area, to get their opinions on things,” Downs said.
Downs also pointed to TPD’s standing with the Council on Law Enforcement Accreditation, CALEA. The group calls itself “the gold standard in public safety.”
“We just recently got re-certified in that, and so, in essence, it’s kind of an oversight to make sure that we’re up to the modern standards of our law enforcement practices,” Downs said.
WHAT’S CALEA?
It’s a national organization, created in 1979, to accredit law enforcement agencies that follow strict standards. CALEA’s website lists the following standards set for accreditation.
- Comprehensive and uniform written directives that clearly define authority, performance, and responsibilities
- Reports and analyses to make fact-based and informed management decisions.
- Preparedness to address natural or man-made critical incidents
- Community relationship-building and maintenance
- Independent review by subject matter experts
- Continuous pursuit of excellence through annual reviews and other assessment measures
Almost all the people who addressed the council pointed to settlements paid out, involving incidents with TPD.
Speakers pointed to the $26.5 million dollars, paid to William Henry Jamerson, wrongfully convicted of rape.
JAMERSON’S SETTLEMENT >>> 2 News Anchor Erin Christy covered the case
“Those numbers represent more than headlines. They represent lives harmed, and taxpayer dollars lost,” Christine Pope said, addressing the council.
A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said it is “tracking discussions” around a potential OIM.
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