A boost in manpower at the Tulsa Police Department's Detective Division has helped warrants officers and investigators arrest 51 people — including many repeat offenders — in 30 days, police leaders said Wednesday.
Extra officers were assigned in February to work with the Fugitive Warrants Squad to target career criminals who are repeatedly suspected of "Part One" crimes, Deputy Chief Mark McCrory said. Part One is a national classification that includes homicide, rape, robbery, burglary, auto theft, larceny and assault.
"Although official numbers are not out yet, unofficial numbers show that it is having a pretty big impact," Maj. Matt Kirkland said.
"We are seeing a drop in Part One crimes."
The officers who have been assigned to the effort temporarily also are working closely with the robbery, burglary and homicide units.
"They are trying to get these people who are very active in committing Part One crimes," McCrory said. "They are doing some surveillance in case they can catch them in any criminal activity," he said. "That way, we are not pulling detectives away from working caseloads, and people are still getting the same service."
March 4 marked the first 30 days of the assignment, and during that time, the officers participated in 51 arrests, McCrory said. Of the 51 arrests, the officers have assisted in detaining three people on homicide charges or charges of child neglect that resulted in a death, McCrory said.
They also have arrested 18 people on robbery charges, 13 people on burglary charges, four people on rape or lewd molestation charges, and five people on charges of shooting with an intent to kill or assault with a deadly weapon.
The 51 people arrested in the effort have a cumulative record of 161 previous convictions for Part One crimes, McCrory said. In the last six months alone, their names have surfaced during investigations of nearly 500 crimes.
One of the group's biggest captures was that of Patrick Wayne Manning on Monday. Manning is charged with two bank robberies and is suspected in two others. "With the additional officers, they could keep cruising parking lots until they came up with his vehicle at a motel," Kirkland said. "Without additional manpower, that is a very difficult thing to do."
McCrory said police are working with a liaison from Tulsa County District Attorney Tim Harris' office to file cases and get higher bails set for the repeat offenders. They also have been working with the U.S. Marshals Service and the Probation and Parole Office.
By working with prosecutors, police managed to get a charge of possession of burglary tools filed against Wesley Moman III. Moman has multiple burglary and drug convictions.
The officers also worked with detectives and warrants officers in February to arrest several people who are suspected of running one of Tulsa's most prolific burglary rings, according to police. Each of the suspects had been arrested many times before.
Sgt. Brandon Watkins, supervisor of the Burglary Unit, said, "They have really done a good job of catching some of our suspects in serial burglaries — the worst of the worst — who could easily have committed 20-plus, even more than 100 burglaries in some cases."
McCrory said the effort will be reviewed after 60 days to determine whether it will continue.
Nicole Marshall 581-8459
nicole.marshall@tulsaworld.com
Copyright 2009, Tulsa World.
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Extra Officers also means less oversite and more dishonesty within the Police Force. There is NOTHING worse than a Police Officer who will lie in the eyes of a citizen. More officers doesn't FIX any of our problems...HONEST Police Officers make things right and FIX problems. I believe it's time we question the integrity of our Police Department. Police Officers are NOT Judges regardless of what he or she may think. Police Officers are NOT legislators, he or she does NOT make the law. A Police Officer SHOULD be an honest servant of society/government and SHOULD be MENTALLY CAPABLE of looking at each situation objectively. But, alas here it is 2009 and we still have us against them (citizens against the police force) The Police Department is still using the same old tactics that it invented and created centuries ago (along with a few new ones) but the most noticeable feature of a Police Department is a DISHONEST POLICE OFFICER. As far as I'm concerned there's no use for officers who keep silent when another officer lies about an issue...Come on people "Good ole boys" Seriously....GO TO McCURTAIN COUNTY if you want to be in a good ole boys club. They actually HONOR their dishonest police officers. This won't be the end of addressing POLICE OFFICER DISHONESTY.
Posted by: Leslie Michelle Grover | July 11, 2009 at 10:16 AM