TPD Blog

Tulsa Police Launch COMPSTAT

Tracking Tulsa's crime: Police leaders point out trends in city

Police leaders zeroed in on crime trends across the city Wednesday morning at the first meeting for the Tulsa Police Department's new CompStat crime-reduction program.

CompStat — an abbreviation for Comparative Statistics — uses computer analysis of preliminary crime reports to allocate police resources and develop plans to reduce crime.

As they spoke at the meeting, police used computers to zoom on a map of the city displayed on a giant screen in the CompStat center at the downtown police station. They focused on clusters of crime to examine the root causes behind the hot spots and talk about potential remedies.

The meetings, which will be held every 28 days, are open to the public.

"I would like to see more citizens in the audience," Police Chief Ron Palmer said, "but I think we will get that as the word gets out about what this is about and what we can do."

Police compared preliminary crime reports from the last 28 days to the month before to determine whether there was an increase or decrease. The numbers don't represent final crime statistics but can be used to determine trends, Officer Will Dalsing said.

Much of the analysis focused on Part 1 crimes, which include homicide, rape, aggravated assault, robbery, auto theft, burglary and larceny. However, lesser crimes were also discussed as they relate to crime trends.

Gilcrease Division, north-central and northwestern Tulsa: Maj. Paul Williams noted minimal change in the total number of Part 1 crimes during the evaluation period in the Gilcrease Division, which he commands. During last month's time period, 423 such crimes were reported, compared to 422 the month before.

Williams said the division saw increases in auto thefts and larcenies, specifically burglaries from vehicles. CompStat helped officers focus on areas where car thieves are concentrating, including the 1100 block of North Main Street and the downtown entertainment districts.

"In one case we were able to identify a suspect, and in the other case we identified a location and specific day of the week and time frame when the thefts are occurring," Williams said.

Gilcrease officers now have specific information they can use to tackle the problem.

Palmer noted that last year the city saw a drastic decrease in auto thefts, with more than 30 percent fewer auto thefts in 2008 compared to 2007. He suggested vehicle thefts might be cycling back up.

The statistics also showed that officers in the division made 14 more arrests for Part 1 crimes during that time period, increasing from 64 to 78.

Riverside Division, south-central and southwestern Tulsa: Capt. Steve Odom said Part 1 crimes in the Riverside Division were down 1 percent during the evaluation period, from 656 to 649 reported crimes.

Police did see a 5 percent increase in larcenies, which translates into 20 more total crime reports. Many of those cases were also burglaries from vehicles.

The Riverside Division also saw a decrease in residential burglaries, from 156 to 138.

Police said efforts to have patrol officers work with burglary detectives apparently were paying off.

Odom also focused on geographic clusters of crime, including robberies that were reported near 61st Street and Peoria Avenue.

"Unfortunately, were not able to see a discernable pattern," Odom said of the suspect information that was provided in the reports.

The Riverside Division also saw a cluster of auto thefts near 71st Street and Yale Avenue in an area with several apartment complexes, Odom reported. He said division leaders will focus on working with apartment complex managers in the next few weeks.

Mingo Valley Division, eastern half of Tulsa: Maj. Walter Evans, commander of the Mingo Valley Division, said total Part 1 crimes were down 5 percent during the reporting period, from 720 to 685.

Evans said he thinks some of the improvement resulted from making officers more visible in areas where burglaries were occurring.

He said two areas stood out as having clusters of burglaries. The first is roughly from 11th to 21st streets and from 129th East Avenue to Garnett Road. The second area is bounded by 31st and 61st streets from 129th East Avenue to Mingo Road.

With limited resources, instead of trying to saturate the area with patrol officers, Mingo Valley officers tried to focus on catching people who they believed were committing multiple burglaries, Evans said.

Palmer congratulated Evans and the officers of his division for the efforts they made at making robbery and burglary arrests during the evaluation period.

Endorsements: Mayor Kathy Taylor attended the meeting and said that in tough economic times, such a program can be used to help focus police efforts in the most efficient way.

"There is no place where it is more important than with the Police Department where this management philosophy, this technique, this data can be used to help our city become an even safer place to live," Taylor said.

The Tulsa Fraternal Order of Police lodge also issued a statement about CompStat.

"In a time when the Department serves more citizens in a larger geographical area while responding to a much higher call load, with three fewer officers than it had in 1980, we applaud Chief Palmer for his vision in implementing this technology to help us better serve our community," said FOP President Phil Evans.

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Source: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090326_11_A1_Tulsap556306

Tulsa Traffic Simulators Help Keep Police on Safe Path

Tulsa traffic simulators help keep police on safe path
BY LARRY LEVY
Published: March 21, 2009

A simulator operated by officer Larry Edwards shows what happens in a computer-generated accident. Photo by LARRY LEVY, FOR THE OKLAHOMAN

TULSA — Traffic accidents are the leading cause of fatalities among on-duty law officers, said Capt. Travis Yates, head of the Tulsa police precision driving unit.
 
To improve decision-making skills and decrease the potential for accidents, Tulsa police have invested $500,000 in driver training simulators, Yates said.

The police department can teach people how to drive — steer, brake, accelerate — but "that doesn’t do anything for decision-making or collision avoidance,” Yates said.

The simulators let officers encounter 100 stressful scenarios in rural and urban settings, he said.

Among them are busy intersections with buses, trucks and pedestrians; areas where dogs dash into the street; and pursuits that wind from city streets through parking lots or along narrow, twisting country roads.

Instructors can set up situations in which officers in each of the four $100,000 simulators must pursue the same suspect, Yates said.

If a maneuver is not accomplished safely, the simulator sounds out the noises of a crash, the windshield fractures and the word "COLLISION” flashes in big red letters.

An instant replay with an outside-the-car view shows the student where the errors were, and an objective score is given.

The simulator has the usual car controls — ignition key, gear shift, steering wheel, gas and brake pedals, seat belt — plus light and siren controls.

The initial training for Tulsa officers takes 40 hours — a day each in the classroom, on the simulators and at a track, and two days at the city’s vehicle training center.

Tulsa patrol officers receive refresher training every two years.

Source  http://newsok.com/tulsa-traffic-simulators-help-keep-police-on-safe-path/article/3355186

Extra Officers Equals More Arrests

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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Tulsa Police Honors Its Officers, Heroes

Awards recognize Tulsa police officers as heroes

Several Tulsa police officers were recognized for exceptional service Friday during the agency's annual Tulsa's Heroes awards banquet.

Officials from the Police Department and the Crime Commission honored roughly 45 officers who varied from rookies to seasoned veterans during the ceremony at the Jazz Depot, 111 E. First St.

The Medal of Valor — the top award granted by the Tulsa Police Department — went to Officer Rusty Brown for his role in disarming a man while dodging gunshots. Brown was sent to 1127 E. 49th St. on July 9 on a report that shots were being fired there. When he arrived, two men were fighting for control of a handgun, police said. As Brown got out of his patrol car, one of the men began shooting at him. Unable to find a safe angle to return fire, Brown holstered his pistol and sprinted toward the gunman, police said. With help from a private individual, Brown disarmed the man and restrained him until backup arrived.

A Purple Heart award went to Sgt. Curtis Haley, who was seriously injured when a traffic accident trapped him in a patrol car. The Oct. 13, 1980, crash killed Sgt. Don Byerly.

Haley was in the back seat when a drunken driver rear-ended the cruiser. He suffered severe back injuries and broken ribs, police said. Haley returned to the force after a year of injury leave and has since logged nearly 30 years with the department.

Officer Jared Lindsey was one of a handful of Lifesaving Award recipients for his work during a multicar pileup on an icy bridge Feb. 11. Lindsey leapt head-first from a bridge over the Verdigris River when a tractor-trailer rig jackknifed and crashed into the snarled traffic, police said.

He climbed back onto the road and revived a woman who had stopped breathing, police said.

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