Chat With The Chief: Possible Downtown Tulsa Division And More

Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin joins us to talk about recent incidents and updates in the city.

What is the importance of possibly having a division in downtown Tulsa?

"We have three patrol divisions. So our city is split into thirds. And those three patrol divisions, those are the actual officers in uniforms that you see. We believe that there is an opportunity to take a look at what's happening downtown, the growth that's happened downtown. Right now, downtown is actually the responsibility of the Gilcrease division, which is up north. And so they spend a lot of their resources in the downtown area, that major spends a lot of time in the downtown area. And we think there might be an opportunity for us to take some of that responsibility away and be more responsive to the community in the downtown area by having its own division," Chief Franklin explained.

How soon could that division be a reality?

"Well, you know, nothing moves quickly with government. And so I think we need to look at it now. Because it could be five years from now. It could be two years or a year from now. It just depends on the priority of the mayor and city council and what they want to see and money," Chief Franklin said.