ALL OFFICERS
VERY IMPORTANT
THE TULSA POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL CEASE TO EXIST AS
WE KNOW IT, IF WE DON’T DO SOMETHING NOW!
The proposed numbers for furloughs is as follows;
- If the 4.4% reduction is enacted, 135 officers will be laid off January 15th. or 155 officers will be laid off effective January 31, 2010.
- If the 2.2% reduction is enacted, 56 officers will be laid off January 15th. or 64 officers will be laid off effective January 31, 2010.
The current mayoral administration has publically stated that the city is looking for an “alternative” to policing Tulsa. That “alternative” obviously translates into “cheaper.”
The city was offered numerous concessions to avoid lay offs, but the concessions were turned down. Using the numbers provided by the City Council regarding outside city limit take home cars, the city would have saved $1.1 million dollars had they accepted the concession . The city turned the proposed concession down.
If the 4.4% reduction is necessary, the dollar amount could be met by;
- Transferring $3.1 M from the new vehicle fund (this would require a vote of the people as the money originated resultant of a specific tax).
- Sell one helicopter, $1.1 M.
- Apply to have JAG money, $2.2 M transferred into payroll (this would take Federal approval).
- These monies add up to $6 M (a budget reduction of $6 M [4.4%]).
The City paid for a manpower study that was completed on August 26, 2008. The study clearly stated the Tulsa Police Department needed considerably more officers. Absolutely nothing has occurred in the City of Tulsa since then to indicate that the Tulsa Police Department now needs fewer officers today.
Every officer, regardless of seniority needs to contact a minimum of ten (10) associates (family, friends) and ask them to call and e-mail every member of the City Council and the Mayor, and tell them know that you do not want any Tulsa Police Officers to be laid off. Let the elected officials know that public safety is the most important aspect of city government.
Ask the ten friends if they would each contact ten of their friends, and have them call and e-mail every member of the City Council and the Mayor to express their dislike and displeasure regarding the looming lay offs.
If every person contacted all the councilors and the mayor, we could have an exponential explosion of pro-police e-mails to our elected officials and make it known that the citizens do not want fewer Tulsa Police Officers and are steadfastly against a reduction in force.
OFFICERS SHOULD NOT;
Make telephone calls or send e-mails
regarding the lay offs while on duty.
Speak with the media about this (contacting elected officials
via e-mail or telephone) while on duty or in uniform.
OFFICERS SHOULD;
Know the facts.
Be off-duty.
Contact as many people as possible.
Use only personal e-mail addresses.
WE MUST ACT QUICKLY BECAUSE DECISIONS AFFECTING THE CAREERS OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS IS BEING MADE RIGHT NOW.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Dist1@tulsacouncil.org Jack Henderson
Dist2@tulsacouncil.org Rick Westcott
Dist3@tulsacouncil.org Roscoe Turner
Dist4@tulsacouncil.org Maria Barnes
Dist5@tulsacouncil.org Chris Trail
Dist6@tulsacouncil.org Jim Mautino
Dist7@tulsacouncil.org John Eagleton
Dist8@tulsacouncil.org Bill Christiansen
Dist9@tulsacouncil.org G.T. Bynum
Dewey Bartlett, Jr
Mayor’s Action Center 596-2100
PLEASE E-MAIL EACH PERSON SEPERATELY
TALKING POINTS;
* The citizens have a tremendous monetary investment in each and every officer. It costs tens of thousands of dollars to train each officer.
* Police Officer candidates spend six months in the Police Academy and another four months in the field with a training officer. It is very expensive to train a new police officer.
* Many officers will seek employment elsewhere, and will not return to Tulsa if the economy improves. The investment will be a loss to the citizens of Tulsa and a gain to another community or law enforcement agency.
* A manpower study completed on August 26, 2008 indicated that the Tulsa Police Department was understaffed and needed many more sworn officers.
*These lay offs are numbers to the city, just a name tag and a badge number. They are real people, each of whom took a solemn oath to, “…protect and defend with my life, if need be.”
* The JAG grant + The police car money + The sale of the helicopter = $6M, a 4.4% reduction of the budget.
* Officers voted and agreed to 52,000 hours of furloughs to keep layoffs at bay.
* The FOP offered greater financial concessions than the city asked for, but the city turned the concession package down.
* The FOP agreed to compensatory time in lieu of pay. The city turned the FOP down.
* Tulsa has some of the most educated and best trained officers in the United States.
* Federal law enforcement agencies and other police departments are waiting in the wings to hire these professional, already trained and tested police officers.
* The city has money in other accounts that could keep the city from laying off any officers.