Campus Cops

Tulsa Public Schools will soon have their own police force. On Thursday the Tulsa School Board unanimously approved a plan to create a campus police force. They want to put a state certified officer

Thursday, June 21st 2007, 6:14 am

By: News On 6

Tulsa Public Schools will soon have their own police force. On Thursday the Tulsa School Board unanimously approved a plan to create a campus police force. They want to put a state certified officer at every Tulsa high school, but The News On 6â€™s Ashli Sims reports itâ€™s not known when the TPS PD will become a reality.

Be it a school fight, or an intruder on campus, Tulsa Public Schools wants to have its own cops on the job.

"We're gonna start a police department,â€ said Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Zolkoski. â€œKind of slowly, depending on whether we get the federal money or not, but we really need to get some police officers at our high schools."

Dr. Zolkoski wants TPS to join school districts like Jenks, which has had its own force for years. Jenks has six officers who work 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That cost them about $270,000. Right now, about 60 security guards are scattered throughout the district at a cost of $1.5 million. Superintendent Dr. Michael Zolkoski says for that much money the district could have its own force.

"The presence of a police officer on campus is a lot different than the presence of a security guard," Zolkoski said.

Dr. Zolkoski says he would like to see at least one certified officer at each of the high school and alternative school sites. The Tulsa School Board gave their approval for a TPS police force, now the hold-up is money. The district has applied for a $2 million federal grant, but it hasn't been approved yet.

Watch the video: TPS To Get Its Own Police Force