Tulsa UED Committee Considers Public Safety Oversight Ordinance - October 14, 2026

The Urban and Economic Development (UED) Committee held a comprehensive workshop on October 14, 2026, to debate a proposed ordinance creating an Office of Independent Review and Oversight of Public Safety (Title 16). The meeting featured detailed presentations from Emergency Management, Police, and City Security, alongside a presentation from the Terence Crutcher Foundation. The Public Safety Commissioner also briefed the council on inter-departmental coordination and data systems.

Presentations from Public Safety Departments

• Emergency Management (Adam Woodard): Woodard highlighted existing oversight from state and federal agencies and stressed the new department's focus on transparency. He worried the ordinance could duplicate efforts currently handled by existing layers of review.
• Police Department (Chief Jim "Scott" Brooks): Chief Brooks provided a comprehensive overview of TPD oversight (e.g., 1,600 daily body-worn camera videos, 26-month retention, CALEA accreditation). He stated TPD had 64 investigations in 2025 (54 administrative, 10 citizen-initiated) from 272,000 calls. He expressed clear concerns that the ordinance could harm officer morale and recruitment but committed to holding a public transparency meeting on camera policies the following Monday.
• City Security (Mark Hogan): Hogan reported only two citizen complaints in two years. He described the proposed office as "hurtful, redundant, and burdensome" because it implies distrust despite his department's strong record and lack of administrative staff for new compliance tasks.

Discussion with Public Safety Commissioner Laura Roberts

Commissioner Roberts detailed ongoing efforts to improve collaboration among her departments, including weekly meetings. She acknowledged significant data integration shortcomings, relying on siloed systems and spreadsheets. She is exploring the Peregrine data platform to improve analysis and transparency. She stated she did not pressure department heads to oppose the ordinance and expressed openness to collaborating with the council on a community oversight board, given that data and transparency improvements are a shared priority.

Presentation from the Terence Crutcher Foundation

Sam Robson, representing the Foundation, argued strongly for the ordinance's passage. He presented figures showing Tulsa has a fatal police encounter rate (9.5 per million) over double the national large-city average (4.4 per million). He highlighted the low 2% citizen complaint sustain rate and $47 million in settlements. He described the proposed office as a "review model" to ensure internal investigations are conducted properly, aiming to build community trust rather than discipline officers.

Key Outcomes & Council Deliberations

• No Committee Vote: The committee did not advance the ordinance, though it was scheduled for a full City Council vote later that day (October 14).
• Council Division: The debate exposed a sharp divide. Supporters (Dr. Wright, Hall-Harper, Dutton) argued the ordinance is a necessary step to rebuild trust after years of inaction and poor community feedback. Critics (Lakin, Bangle) expressed fears of politicizing the police and duplicating effective oversight.
• Transparency Path: Commissioner Roberts signaled a willingness to continue working on a collaborative oversight framework. Chief Brooks initiated his own transparency push outside the ordinance. The meeting highlighted a general consensus that the city's public safety data systems require significant investment and modernization to meet transparency goals, regardless of the specific oversight mechanism adopted.