Glenpool Hires More Police Officers, Firefighters In Response To Population Boom

Leaders of one Green Country city say their town is safer than ever, with new police officers and firefighters at work.  

After years of population growth, the city decided to catch up by adding more emergency responders. 

Kyle McMurrian is one of the new firefighters. He has ten years of experience and just started with GFD a few months ago. 

"I've been doing it for 10 years. I just like helping people and feel like it's my calling to do," McMurrian said. 

Thanks to the 'Move Glenpool Forward' Tax package, the department has nearly doubled by hiring seven firefighters.

"We work a dangerous job, a dangerous field, so to have more people makes it safer for us and for the community," McMurrian said. 

Police say the city is already a safe place to live.

"We're very lucky. We have a very low crime rate," said Glenpool Police Chief Dennis Waller. 

But if things do get busy, officers don't always have to work alone, because there are now more on the force.  

"The workload was definitely greater than it is now," said GPD Master Patrolman Steve Winders. 

The last time the police department added a new officer position was 2008. Because of this tax package, they're adding five at once. 

One of them is Glenpool Police officer Liz Andrews is the first female officer hired in about 20 years. 

"It's an honor that they picked me out of everyone. I know there were like 80-something applicants. The fact that they hired a female over everyone - it's an honor," Andrews said. 

Glenpool City Manager Roger Kolman says increasing the number of emergency responders is the city's effort to "catch up" to the population. 

In 2010, 10,000 people lived in Glenpool. Fast forward to 2017. 

"Our population projections as of today are somewhere around 15,000," Kolman said. 

And the city expects that trend to keep going. 

"There's going to be great things happening for the people of Glenpool in the next decade," Kolman said. 

For more information on the city tax, visit the Move Glenpool Forward website.