Police Frustrated By Repeat Offenders Who Keep Being Released

Repeat offenders frustrate citizens and police alike.

Tulsa’s downtown impact officers say they keep arresting the same people over and over, but they never get any prison time.

Prison overcrowding is a real issue, so there’s a big push to keep non-violent offenders out of prison.

Police say they understand that, but it’s frustrating to keep arresting the same people over and over and over again.

Justin Rennick is one of those guys, according to police.

Records show Rennick got out of prison in May for Osage County convictions of forgery and stealing from a house.

Tulsa officers arrested him in July for stealing from the Brady Theater.  He received a two-year suspended sentence.

Rennick got out of jail around midnight of August 2nd.  Just three hours later, police say, they arrested him for stealing tools from a construction site at Boston and Archer.

“I agree people deserve a second chance.  I agree people make bad mistakes,” said Corporal Brandon Davis, “but when you have people who do this over and over and over, we gotta think of something else.”

Corporal Davis says Pedro Canteras is another repeat offender.

Canteras was arrested last October for four downtown burglaries and received a deferred sentence.  He was arrested in June for two more burglaries and received a six-year suspended sentence.  Just eight days after pleading guilty in that case, he was arrested for breaking into a school.

7/9/2018 Related Story:  Man Arrested After Twice Breaking Into Downtown Child Development Center

“From our perspective, the way to control the crime and prevent future crimes is to lock some of these guys up,” said Davis.

He says prison costs taxpayers, but so does replacing stolen items and repairing damage to property.

Police say victims are equally frustrated and feel there needs to be a better solution.