TPD budget

[Lance Woolsey]

From: Tulsa Midtown Alert Neighbors

Sent: Friday, June 14, 2013 3:47 PM

To: undisclosed-recipients:

Subject: Alert Neighbor 06/14/2013

Family, Friends & Neighbors:

I want to update you with some great news.  Over the last year, the City Council has worked closely with the Tulsa Police Department and area law enforcement personnel to determine ways in which we can make Tulsa safer.  We recognized that too many Tulsans do not feel safe, and since public safety is the most important job of the City we needed to take action.  Last night, the Council approved a budget which begins the process of acting on those findings.

The budget approved by the Council will fund 45 new Police officers over the course of two academies, and will fund 16 civilians to fill desk jobs currently being staffed by trained officers - freeing those officers to go back on patrol.  This meets the target we've been given by Police Chief Chuck Jordan of needing 60 new officers every year to ramp us back up to the optimum manpower level.

The budget also funds the Crime Stoppers hotline, which will allow the Crime Prevention Network to better market that anonymous tip line to potential users and provide our Police Department with better intel on crimes committed.  Additionally, the budget continues our City's commitment to the Family Safety Center, which coordinates law enforcement personnel across an array of agencies to protect victims of domestic violence. 

In addition to public safety needs, the budget increases funding for right-of-way mowing, litter clean-up crews, and a number of other needs.  The Council identified funding for each of these items through a rigorous review of the budget over the last 8 weeks.  

I was very proud to see the Council - with so many external distractions - quietly go about its work in a collaborative fashion and find a way to make our city safer.  Thank you for electing me to be a part of this group - we've got lightning in a bottle on the City Council right now.

As always, please don't hesitate to contact me if I can be of help to you.

Best Regards,

GT