TPD Blog

New Ammo Poses Threat For Police

 

New Ammo Causing New Fears For Police
A safety alert put out by the Atlanta Police Department's homeland security unit, warns officers to be extra careful because of the ammunition.

Brian Hill with Tulsa's U.S. Shooting Academy agreed to help test the ammunition.  The ad for the ammunition says it shoots dozens of steel darts that cause unbelievable trauma.

Police are facing a deadly new threat.  It's a new type of ammunition that can penetrate a bullet-proof vest.  News On 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright found anyone can buy it. A safety alert put out by the Atlanta Police Department's homeland security unit, warns officers to be extra careful because of the ammunition.

Brian Hill with Tulsa's U.S. Shooting Academy agreed to help test the ammunition.  The academy teaches everything from basic self-defense to highly specialized weapons training to citizens, police officers and the military.

A police vest was put on a dummy and Hill took a couple of shots. It could be seen that the vest was penetrated all the way through. The ad for the ammunition says it shoots dozens of steel darts that cause unbelievable trauma.

Hill says NATO would not allow the military to use something like this, because although it can kill, it's intended to maim.  He says to get self-protection, there are much better choices. "If stopping an intruder in your home is your goal, this isn't the first or second ammo you should choose, its way down the list," said Hill.

The results were shown to tactical expert Sergeant Luke Sherman with the Tulsa Police Department. Sergeant Sherman says officers worry more about seeing a gun than what ammunition is inside, but it's still hard to understand, marketing something that penetrates a vest.

"Millions of Americans have firearms and are always experimenting with new things. Maybe it was somebody's idea to market something that will be neat down the road, but, to me, it's not," said Sergeant Sherman.

One of the shells contains a dozen steel darts, just as advertised. Hill shot the vest with a .40-caliber firearm.  The bullet did not penetrate the 15-year-old vest. The ammunition is legal, it's just a reminder the dangerous new threats police officers constantly face. One sergeant recently briefed his squad on this new ammunition, just to make them aware it exists.

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Related Story:
http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=7943649

Most Wanted: Marcus D. Hooks

Born: 05/21/1984
5”09”, 165lbs
Address: 6412 N Norfolk Avenue

Marcus Hooks is currently the Crimestopper’s Most Wanted fugitive. He is wanted on Tulsa County felony warrant CF-2007-533 for Shooting With Intent to Kill ($75,000 bond), issued 01/26/2007.

Hooks is also wanted for fourteen misdemeanor warrants with an additional bond of approximately $8000.

If you have any information that can help, please call Crimestoppers at 596-COPS. If the tip leads to an arrest, you'll receive a cash reward.

Armed Robbers Sought

Men sought after armed robbery

By Staff Reports
2/27/2008  7:35 AM
Last Modified: 2/27/2008  7:36 AM

Tulsa Police are looking for two men who committed an armed robbery Wednesday morning. The victim told officers two men robbed him at gunpoint shortly after 7 a.m. at the Rockwood Apartments, 1425 E. 62nd St., according to police scanner traffic.

One robber was described as a white man in his 30s, about 5-foot-6 and 130 pounds. He was wearing a black stocking cap, a dark green jacket and jeans. He carried a black semiautomatic pistol.

The other robber was a white man, about 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-8 with a thin build. He wore camouflage clothing.

The men left the complex in a dark green late-model Dodge Dakota with right-rear window that had been covered as if it were broken. Their direction of travel was unknown, but neighbors told police the pickup truck was seen frequently in the area.

Anyone with information regarding the robbery is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 596-COPS. Callers can remain anonymous and may be rewarded for providing information that leads to an arrest.

Railroad Crossing Laws Enforced

Effort aims to halt deaths

By ALTHEA PETERSON World Staff Writer
2/27/2008

Tulsa police officers cite 12 motorists for violating laws at train crossings.

James Ford can't always see you coming. He hopes that the blinking red crossing lights, combined with crossing guard gates, are enough to stop motorists from trying to beat a train. But as a Union Pacific engineer, he knows that doesn't always happen.

"Crossing gates help, but they don't prevent," Ford said. "People think they can save a couple minutes by just going around. "Definitely, don't ever try to beat a train."

Police cited 12 motorists Tuesday for trying to beat trains or for failing to stop completely when railroad crossing lights started flashing, said Craig Murray, the Tulsa Police Department's traffic safety coordinator.

The railroad monitoring was part of the Crossing Accident Reduction Enforcement program. "I think it was a success," Murray said. "It's a good educational tool for the police and the community."

Murray said it is especially important because of the danger around railroad tracks. In 2006, four train crashes occurred in Tulsa County; two of them were in the city. In the entire state, 62 train crashes occurred. Two teenagers were killed Feb. 18 when they tried to drive around a grade crossing in Eufaula and their car was struck by a Union Pacific train.

"It's not worth it to continue through and be in a hurry," Murray said. "Trains can't stop. Cars can."

Union Pacific police partnered with Tulsa police for Tuesday's monitoring. Aaron Watson, the railroad police's senior special agent, said motorists involved in train crashes are 40 times more likely to die than they would be in a collision with another automobile. "When you think about the consequences, every train transports hazardous materials," he said. "You have a potential catastrophe waiting to happen for the whole community."

The 12 motorists who were cited Tuesday were fined $120 each. Watson said he hopes that the fines will encourage more drivers to be careful around crossings. "If the worst thing that happens today is people getting a ticket, it is good day for us," he said.

Althea Peterson 581-8361
althea.peterson@tulsaworld.com

RAILROAD RIGHTS OF WAY
By city ordinance, motorists can be fined $120 fine for:

Not coming to a complete stop 15 to 50 feet from a railroad crossing when a train is visible and gives warning of an immediate approach; when a crossing gate is lowered; or when a train is visible and is in hazardous proximity.

Driving around or under a crossing gate or barrier or around or under a gate or barrier that is being opened or closed.

Source: Tulsa City Ordinance, Section 612 and Section 616

Copyright Tulsa World 2008. All rights reserved. Format differs from original publication.

See also http://tpdblog.typepad.com/tpdblog/2008/02/railroad-safety.html

Bloody Sheet Found; Police Need Your Help

On February 26, 2008, officers were assigned to 1599 E. 59th Street to recover a bloody sheet. The sheet was found in the street by a passing motorist. Officers canvassed the houses in the area, but didn't locate anyone who knew anything about the sheet. The sheet was bloody with fresh and clotted blood. There was also a pool of thick blood on the street next to the sheet.

Anyone with information regarding this sheet is asked to call 596-COPS or 596-9222.

Homicide Victim Identified

Police ID homicide victim

By NICOLE MARSHALL World Staff Writer
2/26/2008

Ociel Sanchez, 22, was shot to death in an apparent robbery.  Police released the name Monday of a man who was shot to death during an apparent robbery Sunday morning.

Ociel Sanchez, 22, was found dead on the living room floor of an apartment at the Heatherstone complex, near 33rd Street and Mingo Road, shortly after 11 a.m. Sunday, police said.

No one has been arrested in connection with his homicide.

Sanchez, who police said lives at the complex, apparently had gone outside to take out the trash.  Right now it appears that robbery was the motive," Officer Jason Willingham said.

Sanchez apparently was shot and then stumbled back into the apartment, where he lay on the floor and told someone inside that he had been assaulted, police said.  EMSA medics determined when they arrived that Sanchez had been shot in the torso, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Someone reportedly heard a "pop" before Sanchez stumbled inside.

The shooter was described as an 18- to 23-year-old black man, about 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet tall and 140 to 150 pounds, with an acne-scarred face. He was last seen wearing a black or navy blue hooded sweatshirt, khaki pants and white tennis shoes.

Sanchez's slaying was the third homicide in Tulsa this year.

Anyone with information regarding the shooting is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 596-COPS. Callers can remain anonymous and may be rewarded for providing information that leads to an arrest.

Nicole Marshall 581-8459
nicole.marshall@tulsaworld.com

'Most Wanted' Suspect Turns Himself In

Fredrick Bernard Smith, 35, told police he learned from watching the news that he was the "Most Wanted" in Tulsa several weeks ago.

Smith, who was charged in October with two counts of sexual abuse to a child, was arrested and booked into the Tulsa County Jail about 5:40 p.m., according to jail records. His bond is $50,000 for each count.

Latest Developments in Cori Baker Case...

Motorist saw teen, suspect fighting...

By NICOLE MARSHALL World Staff Writer
2/26/2008

The information is vital to the investigation of the missing girl, police say.

A motorist saw 13-year-old Cori Baker fighting with the man who is accused of killing her on the day of her disappearance, police announced Monday.

The information, which was reported to police last week, is a significant lead in their investigation into the whereabouts of the girl, who has been missing since Nov. 9 and is believed dead, Sgt. Mike Huff said.

Marquis Bullock, Cori's older sister's boyfriend, is charged with killing her. Bullock picked up Cori from her school, Union Alternative School, 5656 S. 129th East Ave., about 2:10 p.m. Nov. 9.  Police said previously that that was the last known time she was seen alive.

That information was repeated last week in a newspaper article about her family's continued search for her body. A man who read the article notified the police that he had seen the girl with Bullock about 4:20 p.m. on the day she disappeared.

The man told police that he saw the two at the intersection of 71st Street and Riverside Parkway in the red car that Bullock was driving. They were scuffling, and it caused Bullock to run a red light and nearly collide with the man's vehicle, Huff said.

The witness said he last saw the red car going north on Riverside near 68th Street. He positively identified Bullock and Cori. Since receiving the tip last week, police confirmed the man's account through his phone records.

The man had picked up his cellular phone to call 911 to report the reckless driver, but he was interrupted when he received a call from home at 4:23 p.m., Huff said the phone records show.

The new lead is significant to the investigation, Huff said. "We want people to direct their attention to that part of the city at that time of day," he said. "Traffic is busy at that time of day. It (the scuffle in the car) nearly caused a wreck, and it might be something that triggers some body's recollection."

Huff said the tip also redirects the focus of the search for Cori's body to that area of the city and broadens thetimeframe when Bullock was with Cori, Huff said. Police initially stated that he was with her from the time he picked her up about 2:10 p.m. until before he returned home, which, based on the recollection of Cori's older sister, Courtney, was about 3:30 or 4 p.m.

Multiple searches, which originated in and around the Arkansas River but later expanded to other parts of the Tulsa area, have been conducted by police officers, firefighters, family members, professional search groups and volunteers.  Last week, the Baker family and Jeff Baker, a self-described psychic from Colorado who is not related to the local Baker family, coordinated a search party around Floral Haven Memorial Gardens in the 6500 block of South 129th East Avenue.

In another development, Tulsa police cybercrimes detectives have determined that an e-mail solicitation to the Baker family for money to help find Cori's body originated in Nigeria and was a scam.

Nicole Marshall 581-8459
nicole.marshall@tulsaworld.com

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Also see http://tpdblog.typepad.com/tpdblog/2008/02/lead-developed.html

Lead Developed in Cori Baker Case

On 02-19-08, Tulsa Police Homicide Detectives developed a significant lead in the investigation of the disappearance of Cori Baker. In relation to this lead, Homicide Detectives are requesting assistance from the public.

Cori Baker and suspect Marquis Bullock were positively identified as fighting/scuffling in the red vehicle driven by Bullock on Friday, November 9, 2007 at 4:23 p.m., (the day of  her disappearance) at 71st and Riverside Drive. The vehicle recklessly ran a red light north bound at that location. The vehicle was last seen north bound on Riverside Drive in the 6800 block.

Anyone at that busy intersection during that time frame please contact Crime Stoppers @ 596-COPS

In an unrelated aspect of the case, The Tulsa Police Cyber Crimes Detectives determined that an email solicitation to the Baker family for money to help locate the body of Cori Baker originated in Nigeria, and is an obvious scam.

ABLE Fines The Hive Club

ABLE cites nightclub for breaking state liquor laws

By CLIFTON ADCOCK & DEON HAMPTON World Staff Writers
2/24/2008

A downtown nightclub where a man was shot to death last weekend has been cited for violating state liquor laws. The Alcoholic Beverages Laws Enforcement Commission issued citations Friday night carrying more than $6,500 in fines to representatives of The Hive, 216 N. Elgin Ave.

Capt. Matt Kirkland said Tulsa police officers with the special investigations division helped ABLE with the investigation, but he didn't know what the exact liquor violations were. The citations carry $6,650 in fines, he said.

Kirkland said a manager at the club informed officers it would no longer remain open past 2 a.m. unless a new nonprofit sponsor is found so the club can take advantage of a loophole in city ordinances. The ABLE Commission has been looking into issues surrounding ownership of The Hive, ABLE Chief Agent Linda Aker said late last week.

Tulsa police are also investigating whether the nightclub was legally open in the early morning hours of Feb. 16 when Phillip Greer, 23, was shot to death. Club owner Jermaine Jones and his brother Larry Jones shot Greer as he was inside his sport utility vehicle about 2:45 a.m. last Saturday, police said.

Greer was driving the SUV toward a crowd of people outside the bar, injuring at least one, after he had been involved in an altercation inside the club, police said. The Jones brothers have concealed-weapon licenses, and they said they feared for their lives and the lives of others when they opened fire on the vehicle, police said.

The brothers were questioned by police and released pending the investigation's completion. The district attorney will decide whether charges are warranted, police said. Greer's was the third shooting -- and second fatal one -- at downtown Tulsa nightclubs in a little more than a year. The other two occurred at what was most recently called Club UV, formerly the Ministry of Sound, at Second Street and Greenwood Avenue.

Club UV has been closed since a Dec. 30 homicide there.

Aker said The Hive LLC has a liquor license that expires in May, but the owners listed on that license sold the business to the current owner. Under the law, a limited liability company with a liquor license must notify the ABLE Commission in writing within 30 days when a change in ownership occurs so background checks can be conducted on the new owner, she said.  The commission never received such information from the new owner, Aker said.

Former co-owner Matt Stevens said he sold the company to Jermaine Jones in June. Jones could not be reached for comment. The Hive is designated as a concert hall, meaning 18-year-olds can come in, provided that the bar area is cordoned off and has posted signs prohibiting minors from the area, Aker said.

Another area of investigation is whether the club was legally open when the shooting occurred, Tulsa Police Maj. Paul Williams said.

Both The Hive and Club UV were using a loophole in a city ordinance that allows an entertainment club to stay open past 2 a.m. -- the normal bar closing time -- if it is sponsored by a nonprofit religious, educational or fraternal organization, Williams said.

Until last month, The Hive was using a contract with Vision Outreach Ministries to remain open past 2 a.m.  However, when the church's pastor, William Tisdale, learned that the church's agreement -- which he thought was canceled a year earlier -- to sponsor events at the club was still being used, he wrote to the club, terminating the agreement. He also forwarded a copy of the letter to the city.

Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor said she hopes to have a measure tightening this loophole introduced to the City Council within the next month.  It was unclear whether The Hive had sponsorship to stay open past 2 a.m. on Feb. 16, Williams said, since the 30-day grace period after Tisdale requested contract cancellation had expired.

"If that is the case, that would have been the first week they would not have been sponsored by that group," Williams said.

Clifton Adcock 581-8367
clifton.adcock@tulsaworld.com

Copyright Tulsa World 2008. All rights reserved. Format differs from original publication

Avoid Leaving Your Car Running: Auto Theft Alert

During this season of cold weather we are aware  that many citizens will start their vehicle to allow it to warm up. Usually after starting the vehicle  the individual goes back inside their residence, while the vehicle is left  running and unoccupied.  The Tulsa Police Department would like to encourage citizens to not leave a  vehicle running and unoccupied.

The Tulsa Police Department has experience 5 vehicles stolen over the past 5 weeks where citizens have started a vehicle and left it running unoccupied.

Missing Girl's Father Criticizes Tulsa Police

Missing girl's father critical of Tulsa police
By Larry Levy, State Correspondent

TULSA — The father of a 13-year-old girl missing for more than three months criticized the Tulsa Police Department Thursday, saying the force was not interested in finding his daughter due to politics.

Danny Baker, with a self-proclaimed psychic at his side, held a news conference in which police participation was called into question and help in the ongoing search was sought. "A little 13-year-old girl is dead," the father said angrily. He went on to say police are "interested in not finding Cori" because of politics and an election year.

Jeff Baker, a self-proclaimed psychic from Colorado who is not related to the family, has helped Cori's family search this week. He read a prepared statement that indicated the family's extreme disappointment in Cori's case and claimed police have "been extremely inactive in the case" and have only "marginally participated in one or two searches" since Cori disappeared Nov. 9.

Prior to the news conference, Det. Sgt. Mike Huff, head of the Tulsa police homicide unit, said he wishes the family the best of luck in their search, but police "have to be concerned with facts, not visions."

He added that "any search for the truth is welcome," and homicide detectives were still actively working on the case. Huff said police also have to guard "against raising hopes and expectations of the family."

About 25 volunteers searched Tuesday and about 15 on Wednesday primarily in an undeveloped section of the Floral Haven Memorial Gardens in Broken Arrow that runs from overgrown, ragged ground to a tree filled area. Poor weather Thursday postponed the search until Saturday if the weather permits, Jeff Baker said. Especially sought for the search are dogs, horses and digging equipment.

The same area was searched by police in November along with long stretches of the Arkansas River and other locations using officers on foot, officers on horseback and police helicopters shortly after the girl disappeared in November.

Jeff Baker said the site was chosen after he and her father had a "mediumship" with Cori where she gave details where she was buried. Without relating those details, Jeff Baker said the man charged with Cori's murder confirmed the site by telephone. Marquis Bullock, 19, is in the Tulsa County Jail charged with first degree murder.

The family has said that if Bullock cooperates in finding Cori they would testify on his behalf for a reduced sentence.

Bullock — who dated Cori's sister — picked her up at the Union Alternative School the afternoon she disappeared. The Tulsa police have been "of little or no help" while departments in other states have volunteered dogs and horses, Jeff Baker said.

Jeff Baker declined to say if he has any further contact with Bullock since Monday night or any "mediumship" with Cori since Tuesday. "The case is not about a psychic, it is not about Jeff Baker. It is about a little girl who was murdered and who needs to be brought back to her family," Jeff Baker said.

"The search will continue until we find Cori," Jeff Baker said.

Baker recently went to Woodward to search for the body of Logan Tucker, who has been missing since 2002. He did not find the boy, but found some dog bones buried under a tree.

©2008 Produced by NewsOK.com
Formatting differs from original: http://newsok.com/article/3207232/1203639088

Police Detectives Need Your Help

Tulsa Police detectives are asking for help in locating witnesses of an assault that took place at the Fishbonz Bar, located at 6214 S. Sheridan Avenue on Saturday February 16, 2008 at about 1:45 AM.

The fight involved two males shortly before closing time. The fight started inside the bar, before being taken outside. Detectives need any witnesses that observed what happened and who was involved.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 596-COPS.

TPD's Fallen, African-American Heroes

In honor of “Black History Month,” it seems especially poignant to remember those African-American officers who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. Yet, may we always remember these officers, and others who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving the public.

Officer Robert Jackson

Officer Jackson died on Oct. 31, 1927, from gunshot wounds received when he was investigating a family disturbance on N. Greenwood Avenue. As Officer Jackson started to climb the steps to the residence, the suspect stepped out of the front door and shot Officer Jackson four times. Officer Jackson also fired four times, fatally wounding his assailant.  Officer Jackson was the first black Tulsa Police Officer killed in the line of duty.

Officer Claude Lynch

Was shot Nov. 28, 1948, as he ran to assist another officer who was struggling with a prisoner in a police car. He and Officer Henry Johnson had arrested a man for discharging a firearm.  The suspect grabbed Officer Johnson's revolver while being transported. During the struggle for the gun Officer Lynch approached the passenger door of the police car.  Officer Johnson's weapon discharged through the window glass and struck Officer Lynch's jugular vein.

    

Detective Cornelius White

Was killed May 18, 1951 while transporting a rape suspect to jail.  Near 1st Street and Elgin Avenue, the suspect pulled a .32 caliber weapon and shot Detective White. Several hours later, the suspect was killed in a gun battle with officers at 1300 N. Greenwood Avenue.  Officers Bob Bivens and Willie Sanders were wounded in that shootout.

Read More About All TPD Fallen Heroes

X + Meth = A Deadly Combination

Warning Issued About Extreme X

Drug agents are concerned about meth being mixed with ecstasy.

Federal drug agents are warning about a new turbo-charged form of ecstasy pouring into this country from Canada.  It was first seen in northern states, but now police say it's shown up in Bartlesville and Tulsa.  News On 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright reports the drug is called extreme ecstasy because it is laced with meth, a potentially deadly combination.

Federal agents seized more than five million ecstasy pills in 10 states bordering Canada and 55% had meth in them.

Drug agents say ecstasy on its own is a dangerous drug and they've seen people die from it.  They say mixing it with another hallucinogen is only going to make things worse.  The U.S. government is so concerned about this drug flowing into the country, its warning hospitals and drug treatment centers about it.

They say drug dealers are remarketing and packaging it in order to glamorize it and make it more appealing to people in their teens or 20's.

Drug counselors say they don't see that many patients, who are dependent on ecstasy, but they see many, many people addicted to methamphetamine and they worry this mixture of the two, is just another way to get users hooked.

The combination of methamphetamine and ecstasy can have severe health consequences because each has toxic effects on the brain.  Together, the drugs can interfere with the body's ability to regulate temperature, which could lead to hypothermia, resulting in liver, kidney, and heart failure, even death. 

The potential for a fatal overdose is increased when meth-laced ecstasy is combined with alcohol.  U.S. drug agents say China and India are nearly the exclusive producers of the chemicals needed to make the pills.

They say the chemicals are smuggled into Canada by Asian organized crime groups, and then the pills are smuggled into the U.S.

Police in Bartlesville believe a young girl took meth and ecstasy over the holidays.  She nearly died and was in the hospital for days.

Tulsa police say they have already seen two cases of extreme X here and the warning just came out last month.

Related Stories:
http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=7902432&nav=menu682_2

Copyright 2000-2007, WorldNow and KOTV. All Rights Reserved.

TU Student's Death May Involve Drugs & Alcohol

Police: Drugs, alcohol may have played role in student's death
 
Associated Press - February 21, 2008 12:55 AM ET

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - University of Tulsa officials say drugs and alcohol appear to have been involved in the death of a freshmanwho was found in his dormitory room nearly a week ago.

TU President Steadman Upham wrote in an e-mail to students and employees that Tulsa police informed officials that those two factors may have played a role in the death of 19-year-old Isaac Perrault.

His mother, Lisa Perrault, works for TU at the University School, a private school for 3-year-olds through eighth-graders.

According to Upham's e-mail, an acquaintance of Perrault's reported to campus security late Friday that he had become unresponsive. Paramedics could not revive him.

Classmates and friends remembered Perrault and his sense of humor in an online Facebook Web site called "R.I.P. Isaac Perrault."

A memorial service is set for 11 a.m. tomorrow at All Souls Unitarian Church under the direction of Stanleys Funeral Service.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

City Aims to Close Nightclub "Loophole"

Nightclub measure near

By CLIFTON ADCOCK World Staff Writer
2/20/2008

After another fatal shooting, the city wants to close a loophole that lets clubs stay open after hours. A City Council measure to tighten a loophole that some Tulsa nightclubs have used to stay open past 2 a.m. could be introduced within the next month.

The measure, which is still being considered by the Mayor's Office, would require a club to file paperwork with the city if a nonprofit organization is sponsoring an event at the club, Mayor Kathy Taylor said.

The action comes after a fatal shooting at The Hive, 216 N. Elgin Ave., this weekend.

After a Dec. 30 fatal shooting at Club UV -- another downtown club that was open after hours -- the City Council on Jan. 24 increased penalties for club operators who are caught staying open illegally after 2 a.m. from a $500 fine and/or 90 days in jail to a $1,200 fine and/or six months in jail.

The last shooting -- the third at a downtown Tulsa nightclub in a little more than a year and the second in less than two months -- occurred about 2:45 a.m. Saturday.

Police are investigating whether The Hive was open legally at the time, Taylor said.

Phillip Greer, 23, was shot to death outside The Hive by the club's owner, Jermaine Jones, and his brother, Larry Jones, police said.

The Jones brothers, who have concealed weapon licenses, told police that Greer had driven a sport utility vehicle toward a crowd of people, hitting one person, and that they were in fear for their lives when they fired the shots, police said.

Greer, who detectives said might have been involved in an altercation inside the bar before the shooting, was being driven to a hospital by two friends when police stopped them downtown, investigators said. Greer was pronounced dead at the scene. The Jones brothers were interviewed by detectives and released pending further investigation, police said.

The previous shootings occurred about 2 a.m. Dec. 30 inside Club UV at Second Street and Greenwood Avenue and last February at The Ministry of Sound, which later became Club UV. In the December shooting, Eric Bell, 21, was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest and later died. Durayco Demond Fox, 18, was arrested and charged with Bell's murder.

A year ago, a 15-year-old and an 18-year-old were shot at The Ministry of Sound. Both survived the shooting. Rahkeem Smith, 18, of Beggs was sentenced in the case last month to 10 years in prison. Club UV has not been open since the Dec. 30 shooting, police said.

Both clubs were advertised as venues for all ages, and both used a city ordinance that requires a nonprofit organization's sponsorship for clubs to stay open until 4 a.m., police said. Under city ordinances, all entertainment clubs must shut down by 2 a.m. unless later events are "sponsored or operated by a nonprofit political, educational, religious or fraternal organization."

The proposed amendment to the ordinance would require entertainment clubs that are using sponsorship from such organizations to file paperwork with the city to request a permit to stay open past 2 a.m., Taylor said.

The proposal is still being considered in a committee to make sure that legitimate events are not overly burdened by the amendment, the mayor said. "We want to make sure we're not overly onerous on legitimate religious, educational or fraternal events," Taylor said. Police are looking into whether The Hive had nonprofit sponsorship at the time of the shooting, she said.

Until last month, the club was using a sponsorship agreement with Vision Outreach Ministries to stay open past 2 a.m. The church's senior pastor, William Tisdale, said his church had held events at the club but had an oral agreement with the owners to terminate the contract about a year ago.

He said after the homicide at Club UV that he was unaware that The Hive was still using the contract to stay open past 2 a.m. When informed about the situation, Tisdale canceled the contract in writing, sending a copy of the letter to the Mayor's Office.

It was not clear what organization might have been sponsoring the club last weekend, Taylor said.

She said that although downtown is a relatively safe place, keeping a club open past 2 a.m. does not make for a good environment. "As my mother used to say, nothing good happens after midnight," Taylor said.

Clifton Adcock 581-8367
clifton.adcock@tulsaworld.com

Copyright Tulsa World 2008. All rights reserved. Format differs from original publication

Tulsa Police Test New Siren Device

Tulsa police testing supplemental siren device

By Tulsa World Staff, Wire and Correspondent Reports
2/21/2008

Tulsa police are testing a new siren that causes a rumbling noise to alert drivers who might not hear the regular siren.

The "Rumbler" is among several types of new technology the department has tested in the field recently, including in-car cameras and Lidar technology, which uses a laser to track the speed of vehicles, Officer Jason Willingham said.

Once the technology is tested, the department will determine whether purchasing the technology would be money well-spent.

Willingham said the Rumbler emits a low-frequency sound that causes a vibration, alerting drivers to police vehicles. It is used in addition to the traditional siren, Willingham said.

"Sirens blend in with music and other things people have going in their cars," he said. "This is just another tool that we can use to get the attention of drivers."

The department is testing one of the Rumblers in patrol cars at each of the three uniform divisions. They cost about $350 each.

"It's not something we are planning on putting in all cars right now," Willingham said. "We try new technology out all of the time to determine whether it could be something useful for us."

Copyright Tulsa World 2008. All rights reserved. Format differs from original publication

Wanted: DeMarco Jackson

Jackson has a cornucopia of outstanding warrants, including a felony warrant with 9 counts of possession of a stolen vehicle. If you are involved in auto salvage or car scrapping, pay close attention, and be on the lookout for Jackson.

Jackson likes to use aliases, and lie to the police about his true identity. Jackson also uses the nickname "TuTu" or "Too Too."

Jackson provided police with an address of 4188 North Elgin Avenue.

If you have any information that can help, please call Crimestoppers at 596-COPS. If the tip leads to an arrest, you'll receive a cash reward.

Railroad Safety Tips

Tragically, two Eufaula teenagers were killed when their car drove around a railroad crossing gate and in front of a northbound Union Pacific train in Eufaula, OK on February 18, 2008.

Earlier in the day, a Fort Gibson man died after being hit by a Union Pacific coal-train. Regrettably, it seemed the man was trying to "beat the train" according to a witness. Railroad officials stated that it can take miles to stop a fully loaded coal train, and the train crew was not able to stop the 106-car train in time.

Railroad tracks criss-cross the Tulsa area landscape. And whether you're delighted by the sights and sounds of a rumbling freight train, or hassled by the traffic that backs up as they pass through, there's something you always need to do: be safe and smart near railraod crossings.

You may have heard the rule, "Stop, Look, and Listen," but it's also wise to consider some of these safety tips from Operation Lifesaver, a non-profit organization that promotes railroad safety:

• Freight trains do not travel on a predictable schedule; schedules for passenger trains change. Always expect a train at every highway-rail intersection.
• Train tracks are private property, no matter which railroad owns them. Trains have the right of way 100% of the time — over ambulances, fire engines, cars, the police and pedestrians.
• If there are rails on the railroad ties, assume that the track is in use, even if there are weeds or the track looks "rusty."
• A typical locomotive weighs approximately 400,000 pounds or 200 tons. When 100 railcars are added to the locomotive, the train can weigh approximately 6,000 tons. The weight ratio of an automobile to a train is proportional to a soda can and an automobile.
• A train may extend three feet or more outside the steel rail, which makes the safety zone for pedestrians well beyond the rails themselves.
• Trains cannot stop quickly. It is a simple law of physics: the huge weight and size of the train and the speed of the train dictate how quickly it can stop under ideal conditions. A 100-car freight train traveling at 55 miles per hour will need more than a mile to stop — that's approximately 18 football fields — once the train is set into emergency braking.
• There are roughly 200,000 miles of railroad tracks in the United States.
• Trains can move in either direction at any time. Trains are sometimes pushed by locomotives instead of being pulled. This is especially true in commuter and light rail passenger service.
• Modern trains are quieter than ever, with no telltale "clackety-clack." Also, an approaching train will always be closer and moving faster than you think.
• Cross tracks ONLY at designated pedestrian or roadway crossings. Observe and obey all warning signs and signals.
• Never walk down a train track; it's illegal and it's dangerous. By the time a locomotive engineer can see a trespasser or a vehicle on the tracks, it is too late. The train cannot stop quickly enough to avoid a collision.
• Remember: Rail and recreation do not mix!

And above all, remain patient and railroad crossings. The moments of hassle waiting for a train aren't worth risking your life.

Sources and Related Stories:
http://www.oli.org/education_resources/safety_tips.htm

http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=7892716

Witnesses Sought in Fatal Shooting Outside Nightclub

By NICOLE MARSHALL World Staff Writer
2/19/2008

The club's owner and brother tell police that they shot a man while fearing for their lives. Police are trying to find witnesses who saw what led to the shooting of a man by a nightclub's owner and his brother this weekend.

The men told police that they fired at Phillip Greer, 23, in fear for their lives and the lives of patrons outside The Hive, 216 N. Elgin Ave., because Greer had driven a sport utility vehicle toward a crowd of people, striking at least one person, authorities said.

Jermaine Jones, who police said owns the club, and his brother, Larry Jones, were interviewed by detectives and released pending further investigation, Officer Jason Willingham said. Both men are licensed to carry concealed weapons, he said.

The shooting occurred about 2:45 a.m. Saturday. Detectives have learned that Greer was involved in some sort of altercation inside the bar, Sgt. Mike Huff said. The disturbance was pushed outside, and Greer got into his SUV.

"There is some indication that the victim was trying to use his vehicle as a weapon," Huff said. "We know for certain that at least one person was injured and others had to run from the path of the vehicle to avoid being struck."

That is when the club's owner and his brother shot at the SUV, Wil lingham said police reports indicate. Two female friends of Greer's moved him into the back seat of the SUV and started to drive him to a hospital, but police officers stopped the SUV at Fifth and Main streets, where Greer was pronounced dead.

Huff said police are trying to find witnesses who saw what transpired before the shooting. "Initially, we had very limited information because most of the people at the bar fled before the police could make contact with them," he said. After detectives compile their case, it will be forwarded to the District Attorney's Office for a determination as to whether charges are warranted.

This was the second fatal shooting within two months' time at down town clubs that have been open past 2 a.m., the normal closing time for bars. Eric R. Bell, 21, was shot to death inside Club UV at Second Street and Greenwood Avenue about 2 a.m. Dec. 30.

Under a city ordinance, all entertainment clubs must close by 2 a.m. unless events there are sponsored by religious, educational, fraternal or political organizations. Police previously said Club UV and The Hive were using such sponsorships to stay open past 2 a.m.

Anyone who witnessed the disturbance at The Hive who has not yet talked to the police is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 596-COPS.

Nicole Marshall 581-8459
nicole.marshall@tulsaworld.com

Copyright Tulsa World 2008. All rights reserved. Format differs from original publication.

Downtown Tulsa Among Safest Areas

By NICOLE MARSHALL World Staff Writer
2/17/2008

It ranks low in crime statistics, and police credit a new coordinated safety program.

Downtown accounted for a little more than 2 percent of the crimes in Tulsa last year, a statistic police say shows that it remains one of the safest areas in the city. Last year was the first full year of work by Tulsa's Downtown Safety Liaison Officer Jennifer Mansell. The position was created to coordinate beefed-up police patrols downtown to improve the public's perception of the area.

The department is reviewing Mansell's work to see what effect the increased police presence has had, Maj. Paul Williams said. Williams said the numbers show that Mansell's efforts to coordinate the work of officers from specialty units generated the equivalent of about two full-time officers working downtown in addition to the officers who patrol beats there. "I definitely think that what she is doing is making a difference," Williams said.

The Police Department defines downtown as the area within the Inner Dispersal Loop of highways that encircle the city's core. It is one of the most diverse parts of Tulsa, encompassing residences, government offices, businesses, college campuses and entertainment venues.

A total of 28,063 crimes were reported in Tulsa last year. The crime total includes the categories of homicide, rape, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, larceny and auto theft. The crime statistics are gathered according to state and federal guidelines and become part of the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports system, a national clearinghouse for crime statistics.

New statistics generated by the department show that 2.3 percent of those crimes occurred downtown.

Williams said that Mansell coordinated the efforts of officers who work for the specialty units such as bike and mounted patrols and narcotics and traffic units to work 4,370 hours in downtown last year. Their work resulted in 5,498 traffic citations and 199 total arrests. Having Mansell as a contact for downtown business owners has clearly made a difference, Williams said.

For example, Mansell said that several merchants in the area of Archer Street and Cheyenne Avenue told her that illegal drug sales were rampant last year. Mansell knew that with the extent of the problem, she needed to enlist the help of narcotics officers from the Special Investigations Division.

Dealers were selling crack mostly, but on some occasions they would sell their own prescription drugs to make money to buy crack, she said. The situation reached a point where a business owner in the area told Mansell that people would come in and ask for change for a $20 so they could go buy a $10 rock of cocaine.

In the fall, officers began cracking down on drug sales and the brazen use of drugs near that intersection. "I could sit at the corner of Archer and Cheyenne and look over at the alley and see someone loading a crack pipe and smoking it. It was just ridiculous . . . in the middle of the day," Mansell said.

The narcotics officers even worked undercover to make buys from the drug dealers. "They just started hitting the area hard," she said. In December and January narcotics officers made 16 felony and three misdemeanor arrests for drug charges including 10 arrests for delivery of a controlled drug.

During the same time period, Mansell estimates that patrol officers arrested about 10 to 20 more people in the area for various charges. She says she knows the crackdown seems to be making a difference. "The way you really know you are making a difference is by talking to people on the street. When they tell you that there are people running scared, it means a lot to us," Mansell said.

As downtown revitalization efforts progress, Williams said that he would like to someday have a full-time downtown unit focusing on proactive policing methods so the department does not have to take specialty units away from other areas of the city.

In the meantime, police will be working with the merchants and entertainment venues such as the BOK Center and the Performing Arts Center to coordinate stepped-up patrols when events are scheduled, he said.

Downtown enforcement: 2007
Specialty unit hours worked: 4,370
Citations issued: 5,498
Total arrests: 199
Felonies: 54
Misdemeanors: 145

Nicole Marshall 581-8459
nicole.marshall@tulsaworld.com

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Tulsa Cop Leads Deployment in Iraq

Tulsa cop to take on Iraq bad guys...

By MANNY GAMALLO World Staff Writer
2/18/2008

Glen Moore is commanding an Enid-based National Guard brigade, which will be heading to the Iraq theater this summer. Tulsa Police Sgt. Glen Moore has been a crime fighter for the past 20 years, but soon he will be up against a different sort of bad guy.

Moore, a colonel in the Oklahoma Army National Guard, is headed to the Iraq theater of operations, along with 850 or so troops under his leadership. Moore, 45, is the commander of the National Guard’s Enid-based 45th Fires Brigade, which received notice in October that it would deploy to the Iraq region this summer.

The 45th Fires Brigade normally is an artillery outfit, but for this upcoming mission it will have to ditch its big guns. Instead, the brigade’s troops will provide security for military bases, convoys and American civilian contractors. They already have started limited training to provide security, but the real handson training will not happen until May, when the troops head out to Camp Gruber near Braggs.

That training will last about three weeks, followed by more practice in July or early August. Eventually, the brigade’s troops will head to Fort Bliss, Texas, for what is called “pre-deployment training.” Right now, there is no definitive word on where in Iraq the troops will be headed.

The Pentagon said the troops also could be sent to neighboring Kuwait. Moore noted that many military convoys into Iraq begin in Kuwait. Once in the Iraqi theater the Enid outfit will join around 18,000 other troops — National Guard brigades from six other states — that also received a mission notice in October.

Joining the Enid brigade in security duties will be the 56th Brigade Combat Team, 36th Infantry Division of the Texas National Guard; the 29th Brigade Combat Team of the Hawaii National Guard; and the 81st Brigade Combat Team of the Washington National Guard.

The mission to Iraq will be Moore’s first overseas deployment with the Oklahoma Army National Guard. He said many of the troops under his command have already been to Iraq, most with other units.

A graduate of Union High School, Moore joined the National Guard shortly after graduation. He received his officer’s commission in the Guard while he was a student at Oklahoma State University, where he received a degree in business management. Because he received his officer’s commission in Stillwater, Moore said he was put in charge of artillery, since most of the Guard’s artillery outfits are in western Oklahoma.

The Enid 45th Fires Brigade, for instance, has battalion headquarters in Altus and Lawton. The brigade has 980 assigned troops and draws them from units in Walters, Duncan, Marlow, Chickasha, Anadarko, Altus, Hobart, Clinton, Elk City and Weatherford.

Despite the fact that the brigade will handle a different kind of mission, Moore said his troops are excited and morale is high. Moore, meanwhile, is not wasting any time in making plans for the mission. He already has been to Fort Hood in Texas to meet with Army trainers, and he has met with the commander of the 1st Army to discuss the mission in detail.

Moore said his 20 years of experience as a police officer in Tulsa will be put to good use on this mission, since it involves security work. “Most of the people in Iraq are glad we’re there,” Moore said. “They’re excited because they know we are helping their country. “It’s the terrorists who don’t want us there.”

That is pretty much the same in Tulsa with the police, Moore said. “The majority of Tulsans are happy to see us,” he said. “But there are some who just don’t want us around.” Moore currently is assigned to the police department’s Safe City Initiative Task Force.

His wife, Margy Moore, is a Broken Arrow teacher. The couple have two children, Justin and Katelyn.

Manny Gamallo 581-8386
manny.gamallo@tulsaworld.com

Copyright Tulsa World 2008. All rights reserved. Format differs from original publication.

Tulsa Police Driving Instructors Take a Different Kind of Test-Drive

Tulsa Police driving instructors took a different kind of test-drive today. As part of the Tulsa Police law enforcement driver training (LEDT) program, computer-controlled driving simulators have been installed at the Tulsa Police Training Academy.

The feel of sitting in the simulator driver’s seat is much like an actual police car, with realistic steering wheel, controls, pedals, lights and siren controls--even the air-conditioning controls are just like the ones in a patrol car. The driving simulators also use a digital camera to record the driver’s movements, so instructors can identify bad driving habits and correct them.

The simulators help instructors train in a realistic, simulated environment in all kinds of driving situations, traffic, and weather conditions—without having to worry about actually compromising safety, damaging vehicles, or even filling up the gas tank.

Tulsa Police driving instructors plan to continue testing all of the features of the simulators’ hardware, software, and recording capabilities before incorporating the simulators into their police officer driver training program.

WANTED: Two Shooting Suspects

Police search for 2 men in separate shootings

By Staff and Correspondent Reports
2/15/2008

Police are looking for the assailants from separate shootings that sent two men to the hospital Wednesday night.

One victim told officers that he was sitting in his pickup in the parking lot of the Bristol Park Apartments, 4414 S. Garnett Road, about 9:40 p.m. when a man opened his pickup door and pointed a gun at him, according to a preliminary police report. The victim was told to give up his cell phone and money. He was shot in the arm after giving the man only his phone.

The bullet went through his arm and became lodged in his thigh. He drove to the house of a friend, who drove him to St. Francis Hospital. A complete description of the shooter was not available.

In a separate case, a 15-year-old boy told police he was walking home in the area of Admiral Court and Columbia Place about 9:30 p.m. when a man got out of a car and put a gun to him, according to a preliminary police report. The gun, possibly a .22-caliber rifle with a shortened barrel, went off and grazed the inside of the boy's right leg. His mother took him to Hillcrest Medical Center. A description of the shooter was not available, but his car was described as possibly a Cadillac with a taillight out.

Anyone with information about either shooting is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 596-COPS. Callers can remain anonymous and may be rewarded for providing information that leads to an arrest.

Copyright Tulsa World 2008. All rights reserved. Format differs from original publication.

Suspect Sought: Joshue Hutcheson

The Fugitive Task Force is looking for Joshue Hutcheson.

Hutcheson has outstanding warrants for various offenses including burglary and breaking and entering.

If you have any information that can help, please call Crimestoppers at 596-COPS. If the tip leads to an arrest, you'll receive a cash reward.

Officer Justin Farley Wins 'Buckledown' Award

Tulsa Police Officer Justin Farley received the Impaired Driving Enforcement Award for making more DUI arrests than any other Tulsa police officer. The Buckledown Awards, bestowed on Thursday, recognize the traffic safety and enforcement efforts of Oklahoma law officers.

Congratulations Officer Farley. Your efforts, and those of other officers who help crackdown on drunk drivers, are much appreciated.

Tulsa Police Increase DUI Arrests

By NICOLE MARSHALL Tulsa World Staff Writer
2/15/2008

Tulsa DUI arrests increased 19.4% in three years.
2007...1,415
2006...1,360
2005...1,185

Drunken-driving arrests are on the rise in Tulsa, following a decline that police say may have been due to manpower shortages and a lack of grant funds for overtime patrols.

Tulsa police arrested 4 percent more allegedly drunken drivers last year than they did in 2006. But there were 19.4 percent more DUI arrests in 2007 than two years earlier. And with new federal grant money available to pay overtime for DUI crackdowns this year, arrests are likely to increase even more, police say.

Liz Gifford, a victim advocate and acting director for the Green Country Affiliate Office of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said she welcomes the increased enforcement. ''If it deters anybody, the mission has been accomplished. I feel like any time you take a drunk off the street, you are saving a life -- maybe two or even more,'' she said.

Gifford's 16-year-old son, Greg Gifford, was killed in July 1997 when the vehicle in which he was traveling was struck from behind by a drunken driver on the Turner Turnpike.

In the late '90s through 2000, Tulsa police averaged about 3,000 DUI arrests per year. Then there was a steady falloff, and the numbers bottomed out in 2005 with 1,185 DUI arrests, according to new statistics released by the department. Last year, Tulsa police made 1,415 DUI arrests.

Several factors may have influenced why DUI arrests peaked and then dipped sharply, said Traffic Safety Officer Craig Murray. One reason might be a shortage of patrol officers. Staffing levels decreased during 2003 and 2004 because of a lack of police academies, the result of a budget crunch.

Murray said the change to having three patrol shifts instead of four in 2004 might also have had an effect on the number of DUI arrests. As a result, fewer officers are working overlapping shifts at 2 a.m., when bars close, he said.

The number of DUI arrests is also tied to the amount of grant money available to pay officers overtime for DUI patrols.

The department always has federal and state grant money for traffic enforcement but has not had money specifically earmarked for DUI enforcement in some time. However, a federal grant for that purpose was allocated to Tulsa in late 2007, he said. Under the grant, officers must organize at least four crackdowns -- such as sobriety checkpoints or directed patrols -- aimed at drunken drivers before Sept. 30.

''Although we are constantly searching for DUI drivers, by having a grant it allows us the opportunity to put additional people out there just looking for drunk drivers, and we don't have to take officers away from calls for service,'' Murray said.

On their first crackdown using funds from the grant, Tulsa police worked with several other area agencies to conduct a sobriety checkpoint on Jan. 25. The checkpoint was at the service road where eastbound Interstate 44 exits to 41st Street and Sheridan Road.

''We had to quit at 1 a.m. after three hours because we had so many waiting to be booked or processed,'' Murray said. The officers made 12 DUI arrests, arrested four people on warrants and wrote 91 tickets. ''We really were ecstatic to get those kind of numbers,'' Murray said. ''This one was one for the books.''

The next DUI crackdown may come on St. Patrick's Day, he said. Gifford said she participated in the sobriety checkpoint last month and that the results make her want to see more of them.

''In spite of them being there, people still see all the lights and drive up to it. It is surprising. Even when they are intoxicated, people still think they are going to be able to fool the police officers,'' she said. Gifford wants people to know that MADD is not a prohibitionist organization.

''We want people to take accountability if you are going to drink. Have a plan ahead of time on how you are going to get home,'' she said.

Other new traffic statistics show that the number of collisions in Tulsa decreased 3 percent from 2006 compared with 2007. The number of citations written increased slightly -- 0.3 percent -- last year compared with 2006. However, 8.9 percent more citations were issued last year compared with 2005.

Murray said staffing levels also might play a role in the number of citations issued. Also, in the last few years, the Traffic Enforcement and Motorcycle units received new radar guns. The old ones went to patrol officers, increasing the number in circulation.

Nicole Marshall 581-8459
nicole.marshall@tulsaworld.com

Copyright Tulsa World 2008. All rights reserved. Format differs from original publication.

Tulsa Police Promote Five

The Tulsa Police Department and Chief Ron Palmer is proud to announce the promotion of five members.

On Tuesday February 12, 2008 at 8:30 AM, Captain Walter Evans was promoted to Major, Sgt. Jon Brooks was promoted to Captain, Cpl. Clay Ballenger was promoted to Sergeant, Officers Kurt Gardner and Officer Kelvin Williams were promoted to Corporal.

“I am proud of these officers who have worked for and are receiving well deserved promotions. I am grateful for the continued development of additional strong leadership in the Tulsa Police department.” stated Mayor Kathy Taylor.

Congratulations Major Evans, Captain Brooks, Sergeant Ballenger, Corporal Gardner, and Corporal Williams.

Officer Amy Hoehner's Graduation Speech

Editor's Note:

On Friday, February 8, 2008, another class graduated the Tulsa Police Academy. Apprentice Police Officer Amy Hoehner, like her twenty-two classmates, endured 26 weeks of vigorous training, trials and tribulations.

Below is the speech that Officer Hoehner gave during the graduation ceremony. We hope you've enjoyed Officer Hoehner's blog contributions about her academy experience. We hope she--and other officers--continue to share their experiences in the field.

Congratulations Class 2007-98...we're proud of your accomplishments!

Graduation Speech

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well," (Martin Luther King Jr., 1956).

Class 2007-98 is closing the first chapter of the rest of their lives. We entered this building and stood on this stage as 24 strangers. As we sit here today we have become much more than friends, we are family. The gap between my brother on my left and me has closed. We have been armed with the shield that will protect us, our fellow officers and the City of Tulsa.

We share memories that could best be described as nightmares (ok some of them). It all started on Black Monday with Cpl. Smith yelling, “Give me two more”. It seemed to be a trend with the range staff because a few weeks after Black Monday it was Sgt. Eckert bettering our minds and bodies by telling us to get on our face, on our back, and touch the fence.

Then there were the days of defensive tactics. There are a handful of us that are over 30 and I think it’s safe to say we felt every bit of being 30 something. As all of us went home after a fun filled day of fighting professional fighters we had to practice because that’s what good APO’s do. The dinner time conversation went something like, “Baby my whole body hurts. It was a rough day in defensive tactics. That stuff really hurts. Come here let me show you.”

But what would defensive tactics be without the day of OC or pepper spray? The entire class dreaded this day and rightfully so. We had to spray each other, fight an instructor, and handcuff someone all while fighting off the pain from the devil’s spit. Some APO’s went hands on and some just neutralized the suspect. Either way we had to put an end to the torture. When we were finally finished, the reactions ranged from people running in circles to kneeling in the parking lot praying to God that the pain would stop sometime soon.

Law enforcement driver training was by far one of the best parts of the academy if not the best. There is nothing like having someone hand you keys to a police car and tell you to drive fast. On top of that we were on the other side of the city and Cpl. Smith was nowhere close. We drove frontwards, backwards, and sideways and had a blast. We cheered for each other when time was of the essence and held our breath as cones went flying. When we finished law enforcement driver training not only had we accomplished one more hurdle of the academy but we also knew we had to slow down once we hit Admiral in our personal vehicles.

Twenty-six weeks were filled with ups and downs, tears, laughter, and oh yeah tests. We didn’t make this journey alone. Our families, spouses, significant others, moms and dads felt pressure as much as we did. Time was taken away from them with gun cleaning, studying, and the constant traffic of APO’s in and out of their homes. I don’t think that any of us can say thank you enough to our families for being so patient and supportive. Also know that you will never be alone; you are family now.

Before the class video begins I would like to end with a quote that has been taped to our fridge in the break room during the duration of the academy:

“This is my shield. I bear it before me into battle, but it is not mine alone. It protects my brother on my left. It protects my city. I will never let my brother out of its shadow nor my city out of its shelter. I will die with my shield before me facing the enemy.”

Police Graduation: A Family Tradition

By CLIFTON ADCOCK, Tulsa World Staff Writer
2/9/2008

There have been times in the past 58 years when no Jarrett was serving in the Tulsa Police Department, but they are few.

Officer Brandon M. Jarrett, the fourth generation of his family to serve in the department, was sworn into the force Friday.

Twenty-two other new apprentice police officers and one assistant fire investigator also graduated at a cere mony for the TPD Class of 2007 (the academy's 98th class) at the Police Department's training facility.

The ceremony was the culmination of 26 weeks of training, which included instruction on legal knowledge, firearms training, defensive tactics, driver's training and officer survival.

Jarrett's great-grandfather C.R. Jarrett became a Tulsa police officer in 1950 and retired in 1967. C.R. Jarrett's son -- and Brandon Jarrett's grandfather -- Robert J. Jarrett began his service with the department in 1955, retiring in 1975. Robert Jarrett's son -- Brandon's father -- Mike Jarrett joined the force in 1976 and retired in 2006.

Both Robert Jarrett and Mike Jarrett attended the ceremony Friday. C.R. Jarrett died a couple of years after retiring, but his presence was felt, nonetheless, Brandon Jarrett said.

''It meant the world to me to be a Tulsa police officer and honor them,'' Brandon Jarrett said of his ancestors. ''I hope he (C.R. Jarrett) would be proud. I'm continuing on the profession he held so dear to his heart.''

As family, friends and fellow officers gathered around Brandon Jarrett after the ceremony, offering advice and congratulations and posing for a multitude of pictures, Robert and Mike Jarrett stood watching, smiling.

"I'm proud of him," Mike Jarrett said. "It gets to be a tougher job every year.

"I didn't know until (Brandon was) late in college that he was even interested in police work. He did it all on his own. I'm real proud."

Robert Jarrett said the work ahead for his grandson is not easy or stress-free, but it is fulfilling.

For the family, ''It looks like another 20 years of nail-biting,'' he said, but he added that Brandon will "be a good police officer because he's good at anything he sets his mind to."

His grandson "will be the only fourth generation there" at the Police Department, he said. "There's several third generations, but we're the on ly fourth."

Brandon Jarrett said that when he received the title "officer," it was a proud moment for him.

"It's the best feeling in the world," he said. "All of that hard work paid off."

The new officers, who are replacing other officers who have moved on or retired, will now go through 16 weeks of integration into the Tulsa Police Department, Officer Leland Ashley said. They will rotate through the three uniform divisions and will be accompanied by a field training officer during that time.

The new officers will go to all sorts of calls to get real-world experience before being assigned to a division.

Ashley said the new officers have a lot to look forward to.

"Anytime we add officers to the Police Department, we're happy for that," he said. "I'm pretty sure they're happy whenever they get out of (training). I'll tell you from experience, after you get out of the academy, you can't wait to get out and drive that police car."

Tulsa Police Academy Class of 2007 (98)

Joseph D. Anderson
Samantha R. Bailey
Rusty L. Brown
Chase J. Calhoun
Rock E. Clark
J. Andrew Dawson
Kevin B. Hall Jr.
Amy M. Hoehner
Darin M. Howse
Brandon M. Jarrett
Jeremy D. Lawson
Daniel R. Madewell
Amber M. McCarty
Thomas W. McLain III
Ronald E. Montgomery
Charles A. Ramsey Jr.
Craig W. Ritter
Christopher J. Robinson
Joseph W. Sakewicz
Bradford G. Sharpe
Flossie L. Stephens
Andrew J. Weeden
Brian W. Wilson

Assistant fire investigator:
Scott A. Winford

Clifton Adcock 581-8367
clifton.adcock@tulsaworld.com
Copyright Tulsa World 2008. All rights reserved. Format differs from original publication.

Top city servants receive honors

By  DEON HAMPTON World Staff Writer
2/7/2008

Club lauds police officer, firefighter

Whether arresting street criminals or extinguishing fires, police officers and firefighters have always been there to protect the community.

Some go beyond that call of duty, and the Rotary Club of Tulsa honored one Tulsa police officer and one firefighter Wednesday for their work performance and dedication to community service.

Police Officer Jennifer Mansell and Tulsa Fire Capt. Michael Baker were named police officer and firefighter of the year by the club -- the first time the organization has bestowed such an honor -- at a luncheon at the First United Methodist Church.

"I enjoy my job and satisfaction from helping people. It's just what I do," said Baker, a firefighter of 12 years and captain at Station 22 in east Tulsa. "I found that it's about making a difference and an impact, whether it's on the medical scene or in the community."

On Saturday, as a volunteer with the American Heart Association, Baker spent four hours at Woodland Hills Mall to help screen women for the organization's "Go Red for Women" campaign, which aims to decrease heart disease among women.

Baker said using his spare time to help others is one rea son he believes that he was nominated for the award.

"You have to take the values of a firefighter and bring them to the community," he said.

Mansell, an officer of 23 years, said she is "humbled to be nominated for this award."

As the Police Department's downtown safety liaison, Mansell is the contact person for the public, downtown business people and elected officials, said Capt. Tracie Lewis, who nominated Mansell for the award.

But where Mansell really excels is as an advocate for the homeless population, Lewis said.

Over the years, Mansell has given downtown homeless people water, clothing and other items, said Lewis, who was mentored by Mansell as a rookie officer 20 years ago.

"Mansell helps people who can't help themselves," she said.

Mansell also has been a community activist and has raised awareness of breast cancer, which she is fighting.

When not at work, she volunteers with The Salvation Army, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Oklahoma and the John 3:16 Mission.

Rotary Club President Tim Colwell said it is important to recognize Mansell and Baker as heroes and for their contributions to society. Both put their lives at risk daily and still find time to help the community, he said.

With nearly 500 members, the Rotary Club of Tulsa is the ninth-largest Rotary Club in the world. It is Tulsa's largest civic, business and service organization.

Founded in 1915, the club created the Tulsa Boys Home and was instrumental in the founding of Children's Medical Center, as well as the forerunner of the Tulsa Area United Way and Tulsa's first Big Brothers-style organization, according to its Web site, www.tulsaworld.com/tulsarotary.

Deon Hampton 581-8413
deon.hampton@tulsaworld.com

Copyright Tulsa World 2008. All rights reserved. Format differs from original publication.

Crime count falls in 2007

By NICOLE MARSHALL World Staff Writer
2/6/2008

Assault is down, but auto theft is up sharply

Overall crime decreased less than half a percent in Tulsa in 2007, but there were notable increases in burglaries and auto thefts compared to the previous year.

Many things can affect the crime rate, including the economy, crime sprees by repeat offenders and even the weather, Officer Jason Willingham said.

Catching career criminals was one of the goals of the Safe City Initiative, a police task force that was launched in August. The initiative also focused on crime hot spots in the city.

‘‘When you start targeting criminals who are repeatedly committing crimes, that is when you see a difference,’’ Willingham said.

Last year, 28,603 crimes were reported in Tulsa, a decrease of 0.47 percent, according to the Tulsa Police Department’s statistics.

The crime total includes the categories of homicide, rape, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, larceny and auto theft.

The statistics released Tuesday do not include unfounded crime reports, Willingham said. Those are cases where someone files a report, police investigate and determine that a crime was not committed. The crime statistics are gathered according to state and federal guidelines and become part of the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports system, a national clearinghouse for crime statistics.

Based on those numbers, homicides in Tulsa increased 12.7 percent, going from 55 in 2006 to 62 in 2007.

Auto thefts increased by the highest percentage in 2007, at 16 percent. However, Willingham said 2006 ‘‘was an absolute low for auto theft in the city. It was an anomaly.’’

Auto theft detectives tried to analyze what caused the dip in 2006 but couldn’t find a pattern, he said. The number of auto thefts reported in 2007 was more consistent with the number in other years.

Burglaries increased 10 percent last year compared to the year before. One reason could have been the opportunists who took advantage of power outages during the ice storm in December. Willingham said 626 burglaries were reported that month, compared with 497 in December 2006.

‘‘People were without lights, without alarms, and the burglars knew that,’’ Willingham said.

But the police knew it, too, he said, and officers made several burglary arrests during the storm’s aftermath.

Aggravated assaults decreased by the highest percentage at 8.7 percent, while larcenies went down by 6.9 percent.

Nicole Marshall 581-8459 nicole.marshall@tulsaworld.com
By NICOLE MARSHALL World Staff Writer

Copyright Tulsa World 2008. All rights reserved. Format differs from original publication.

Homicide rate: Early promise

By CLIFTON ADCOCK World Staff Writer
2/1/2008

January killings hit 7-year low

Luck, good police work and good residents -- all of those might have contributed to the lowest number of January homicides in Tulsa in seven years, police say.

After two years in which January was either Tulsa's deadliest month of the year or tied for the title, the city had only one confirmed homicide last month -- and it came on the last day of the month, Thursday.

"If there is anyone to be proud of, it's the citizens of Tulsa for treating fellow human beings decently," Police Chief Ron Palmer said. "It's a good start for the year."

One is the lowest number of homicides in January since 2001, when no one was killed. The year-end homicide total that year was 39.

It is the second-lowest number since 1996, which also had one homicide during January and finished the year with 35 homicides.

Early in 2006 and 2007 -- both of which had nine homicides in January -- some observers predicted that the city would surpass 2003's homicide record of 69, but that didn't happen.

Last year ended with 64 homicides, and the year before had 56.

The low number of murders this year gives police time to work on unsolved cases, and it's a relief not to be working against predictions of record killings, homicide detective Sgt. Mike Huff said.

"We're enjoying the opportunity to work on older cases," he said.

Tulsa police are coordinating some efforts to combat violent crime through such means as the Safe City Initiative, which has targeted high-crime areas, caught robbery suspects, taken guns off the street, and arrested drug dealers since it was organized last year.

Robberies, guns and drugs are all factors that could lead to homicides, Palmer said.

However, many homicides are hard to prevent, and much of the credit for the reduced number last month lies with Tulsans themselves, he said.

"I'm not going to try and take credit for it," Palmer said. "It's a crime that's really hard to control by police. Some of the things we do affect homicides; some things do not."

Luck also plays a factor, he said. People have been shot in Tulsa since the beginning of the year, yet no one was killed until Thursday.

The numbers are good, Palmer said, but hold the applause.

"We shouldn't be cheering yet," he said. "There's 11 months left this year.

"At the same time, the trend is good. That's good for Tulsa -- not just the Police Department."

Clifton Adcock 581-8367
clifton.adcock@tulsaworld.com

Copyright Tulsa World 2008. All rights reserved. Format differs from original publication.