Former Chief Named New Police Chief

Wednesday, August 29th 2007, 10:27 am

By: News On 6

Tulsa's has a new top cop! Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor chose a familiar face for the job, former Tulsa Police Chief Ron Palmer. News On 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright reports the selection was a surprise to some after the Mayor's nationwide search, but police officers tell The News On 6 they feel Palmer will bring a sense of stability back to the department.

Ron Palmer was the police chief in Tulsa for 10 years. At that time he also took over during a time of controversy and low morale. This time though, instead of having civil service protection, he will serve at the pleasure of the mayor as a political appointee. He says that won't keep him from being effective on the job.

As Palmer looks to the future, we take a moment to look back at where he's been. He was first announced as Tulsaâ€™s police chief in the fall of 1992. He'd been the chief in Portsmouth, Virginia for two years and before that had worked his way up through the ranks of the Kansas City Police department to the level of major.

Then, as now, Palmer came into the department at a time of turmoil. Then, a scandal had morale at an all-time low and a series of interim chiefs had the department feeling fragmented. This time, a lawsuit filed by internal candidates for the chief's job, and what many officers consider to be a lackluster performance by an outside interim chief, have the department feeling like a lost ship at sea.

Palmer retired in 2002 after 10 years as Tulsa's police chief and a period of decreasing crime in the city. He received high praise from then Mayor Susan Savage.

"He has made enormous contributions to this community. This is one of the safest times in Tulsa's history. I credit his leadership with that achievement," former Mayor Susan Savage said in 2002.

While Palmer's tenure ended on a positive note, it was marked with challenges. The NAACP accused the department of racism and criticized Palmer to the point he sued the group for defamation of character. They later settled rather than go to trial. Palmer also instituted an investigation into claims of inflated overtime by some officers on the force. Despite those issues and the disciplinary actions that come with the job, Palmer told The News On 6 he enjoyed his term and was proud of it.

"The basics of police work, serving the community and helping our neighbors is what we need to stay focused on," said Tulsa Police Chief Ron Palmer in 2002.

After leaving, Palmer created his own security company and just got back last March after spending four months in Afghanistan as a private contractor, hired to train that country's national police force.

People News On 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright have talked to are glad to have a chief who already knows Tulsa, the department and its policies, many which he created. They hope the fact Palmer is serving at the mayor's pleasure will not change the way he approached the job the first time around, which was straight-forward, reasoned and with integrity.

Watch the video: Tulsa's Old Police Chief Is Back On The Job

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