Tulsa's Interim Police Chief Committed To Restructuring

By Jeffrey Smith, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Tulsa's interim police chief says he's committed to restructuring the police department. 

Interim Police Chief Chuck Jordan says the Tulsa Police Department is too top-heavy and he wants to change not only the organizational chart, but also the way officers patrol the streets.

Jordan says whether or not there are layoffs, there will be drastic changes in his department over the next two years.

"We're anticipating almost within the next six months, we're looking at losing a major and two or three captains," said Chief Chuck Jordan, Tulsa Police.

Here's how Tulsa's Police Department compares to the largest department in the state, Oklahoma City.

• Including chief, Oklahoma City has five supervisory ranks
• Four deputy chiefs
• 10 majors
• 31 captains
• And 129 lieutenants, who are first-line supervisors
• In total, there are 175 supervisors in a 1,039 member department
• Officer to supervisor ratio is five to one

• Tulsa Police Department has six supervisory ranks, including chief
• Three deputy chiefs
• Nine majors
• 23 captains
• 82 sergeants
• And 82 corporals, both ranks considered first-line supervisors
• 200 supervisors for an 803 member department
• Officer to supervisor ratio is three to one

"We probably could do with four less majors. We probably could do with seven less captains," said Jordan.

Chief Jordan says he'll slowly thin out the upper ranks through attrition over the next two to three years. He only wants to lose captains and majors and leave those positions vacant.

"I don't plan on, at the line level, for our sergeants and corporals, I don't plan on any kind of a serious reduction," said Jordan. "Having supervision, having a supervisory presence, is critical for any kind of police organization."

He claims a revised beat system will result in a 50 percent savings on fuel costs and smaller beats will improve community relations.

"We can't do this without citizen support. It can't happen. We can't do this by ourselves," said Jordan.

Upper-level supervisors within the department are the highest-paid officers on the force. Captains make up to $85,000 a year and majors make more than $96,000 a year. 

Losing eleven of those positions could save the department more than $1 million a year.

1/26/2010  Related Story: Tulsa Mayor, Some City Councilors Willing To Take Pay Cuts