Tulsa FOP explains why it won't go along with black officer settlement

Why the Tulsa Police union wonâ€™t sign on to a settlement in the cityâ€™s black officers lawsuit. <br><br>Last month, Tulsa Mayor Bill Lafortune and the Black Officers Coalition announced a settlement

Thursday, January 16th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Why the Tulsa Police union wonâ€™t sign on to a settlement in the cityâ€™s black officers lawsuit.

Last month, Tulsa Mayor Bill Lafortune and the Black Officers Coalition announced a settlement in an 8-year-old discrimination lawsuit. The third party to this issue, the police union refused to go along, saying theyâ€™d not been a party to the details of the settlement.

Thursday, the FOP outlined its objections with the News on Six reporter Rick Wells. In December the black officers and the mayor heralded the agreement as a new beginning, for relationships and for the healing of old wounds. Well perhaps not. Thursday we got a peek at something the FOP will release to everyone Friday.

It contains more than 400 signatures of FOP members supporting the union's stand against the settlement. I sat down with Sgt. Luke Sherman who outlined for me FOP concerns. Two big ones, one is money. The new police budget he says will include several items under the heading of Black officers settlement. There are new positions, six of them. Furniture and supplies, money for maintenance and support, other expenses related to the new people plus a big chunk for computer systems. The total of all that, is about $1.5-million. That money, the union fears, might have been spent on policing Tulsa.

The other big issue is the implication of racism in settling the lawsuit. Many allegations, he says but no proof. Sgt Luke Sherman: "Me as a black officer, I have testified in Federal Court. Haven't found it, haven't seen it, haven't experienced it myself, but there are people pointing a finger." It's a little like someone asking if you've stopped beating your wife. How do you answer? Have you stopped being a racist? The FOP doesn't believe the department is, and it appears if the settlement is approved, they intend to appeal it.

We contacted the Mayor. He declined to comment. City Attorneys advised against it.