TULSA, Okla. — In recent weeks, two shootings in east Tulsa have made headlines. The first on July 27 at a festival outside St. Thomas More Catholic School, where a 15-year-old boy was shot and killed.
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Then, early in the morning on Aug. 3, less than two miles away, a 16-year-old was shot in the chest outside a food truck near 21st and Garnett.
With the added police emphasis surrounding the curfew downtown, 2 News asked Tulsa Police Captain Richard Meulenberg if that's affecting their already limited staffing elsewhere.
"If we put resources in one area, that means there's a depletion of resources in another area," Meulenberg said. "Let's say we want to solve all the downtown issues, whatever they might be. Whether it's parking, or curfew, or any number of issues. Great. If we take all the resources from all the rest of the city, we can solve that problem, right? But what happens to the rest of the city?"
Tulsa city councilor Christian Bengel represents District 6 in east Tulsa. Both shootings happened in his area.
"I certainly don't want to imply or even entertain the idea that east Tulsa is more dangerous than any other part of the city," Bengel said.
WATCH: East Tulsa shootings prompt concern
Both Councilor Bengel and Captain Meulenberg say that parents can help prevent incidents with youthful offenders from happening.
"I believe parents really need to understand what their kids are doing," Bengel said. "Look at their devices, see what applications they have on their phone, who they're texting, who they're associated with, what they're doing in their spare time."
"When you got a teenager out there running around, it's imperative that you know who they're hanging out with," Meulenberg added. "Because your kid may be a fantastic kid, but if they're hanging out with the one kid who's terrible, the one kid who's getting guns, the one kid who's got a tendency for violence, you have to know that as a parent."
Councilor Bengel told us he doesn't believe the curfew enforcement downtown is affecting policing in his district or anywhere else in east Tulsa. Captain Meulenberg added that the August 3 shooting is still an ongoing investigation.
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