Terence Crutcher: Vigil planned five years after killing of unarmed Black man in Tulsa

“I think the consequences of that event have been tragic. As someone who believes every life is sacred, the loss of Terrance Crutcher’s life is tragic. The impact on the lives and careers of the law enforcement personnel involved is tragic. The division it created between people in our community - reducing our ability to work together toward community policing goals that will make Tulsa a safer city - is tragic.

In spite of this, Tulsa is a very different city today than it was 5 years ago. Every patrol officer now wears a body camera. The Tulsa Police Department has undergone independent assessments of its practices and made revisions accordingly. The City of Tulsa has established its first comprehensive strategy for addressing racial disparities (the Resilient Tulsa Strategy), created a team to follow through on it (the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Equity), and we are the only major city in America to publish an annual independent audit of inequalities in our community (the Tulsa Equality Indicators). We have attracted over one billion dollars of investment into North Tulsa, and we have created the Tulsa Authority for Economic Opportunity to systematize the creation of shared prosperity in all parts of our city.

And there remains more to do. I am thankful for all those Tulsans who are committed to making ours a city where every young person has an equal opportunity for a great life.”