Group Takes Another Step To Improve Tulsa High-Crime Area

Another step has been taken towards improving the neighborhood around 61st and Peoria. It's been targeted by Tulsa police to cut down on crime, now they're looking to what's beyond that and getting a grant for the work.

The police got a $100,000 grant that could lead to a $1 million grant to track down and reverse the root causes of crime and poverty and family dysfunction specific to 61st and Peoria.

Things are changing around the area with a continued focus from government and charities trying to help.

It's long been considered to be a high crime area, but the murder of four women last year in the Fairmont Terrace Apartments was the catalyst for change, according to City Councilor Jeannie Cue.

2/6/2013 Related Story: Police Arrest 2 Brothers For Murders Of 4 Women At Fairmont Terrace Apartments

"This has to be a community effort and it has been,” she said.

Cue has led an effort to gather resources for that part of town, coordinating education and job training in addition to more law enforcement.

“People I talk to who live in the area want to do better; they just don't always have that advantage,” she said.

The South Tulsa Community House is part of the change and is a partner in a new $100,000 grant to research the neighborhood issues.

The outreach effort is moving from an out of sight storefront to its own building soon, a building that's under renovation just for them.

It's going to offer expanded medical care, job training, and education.

"Take a more comprehensive, holistic approach to the problems over here, not just crime, but some of the quality of life issues you want to address,” said Dwain Midget with the City of Tulsa.

Last month, the City demolished some old apartment buildings that police said had become a magnet for crime - from drug deals down to trash dumping.

9/10/2014 Related Story: Tearing Down Buildings A Step To Revitalizing Tulsa Neighborhood

Police believe clearing out that kind of property helps break up the opportunities for crime.

The police officer who oversees the area, Major Jonathan Brooks, said things are improving.

"Now that we have the major crimes are knocked down, we're looking at underlying crimes that contribute to quality of life, things like burglaries and larcenies,” Brooks said.

The research will run 18 months and solutions from that come later.

In the meantime, a police task force continues their work and a new public charter school is expected to open next year not far from there; another step in that education component.