Police Cracking Down Hard On Crime During Outage

Emergency leaders in Tulsa held a briefing Wednesday morning to update their response to the ice storm. The big focus Wednesday, other than getting power back on, is fighting crime and fires. Tulsa firefighters have responded to more than 120 fires in the past 48 hours. Many of them are being caused by people trying unconventional ways to heat their homes, like candles, charcoal grills and generators inside their homes or apartments.

The other focus is the increase in business and home break-ins. Tulsa Police had 122 officers on the streets Tuesday night, which is twice the normal number, which helped nab some thieves.

"We made 41 arrests in that time frame and 14 of those were burglars, burglary arrests, so we're doing very well with that," said Tulsa Police Chief Ron Palmer.

Palmer says police officers will continue to work 12-hour shifts until further notice. A state law allows for stiffer punishments for anyone caught stealing during a time of disaster.

Tulsa Police are also answering questions from citizens and businesses about the best way to secure their properties while the electricity is out. For those in the north side, the number to call is 591-4100. Those on the east side of Tulsa can call 669-6000 and those in mid-town and on southwest side of Tulsa can call 596-1100.