Editor’s Note: The Tulsa Police Department recently issued their 2019 Annual Report. It is an amazing document that highlights the professionalism and expertise of the agency. In the coming weeks, we will be discussing several aspects of the report. You can read the entire report here. This report was originally linked on the Tulsa Police Department Facebook Page. As a public document, we are providing it to you here. Below is the opening letter from Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin.
The year 2019 was pivotal for the Tulsa Police Department.
As the year concluded, Chief Chuck Jordan retired after serving fifty years in law enforcement and the last ten as our police chief. A few months later, I was chosen to be Tulsa’s 40th Police Chief since statehood in 1907.
It is an honor I never expected and a job that must involve all of Tulsa to be successful. I know our staff well as I have been a part of this organization for over two decades and I know without a doubt that the future has tremendous potential.
I began using the term “One Tulsa” after taking office because I believe that the challenges ahead can ultimately be mitigated if everyone in our community, along with every Tulsa Police officer, understands that we are all the same. We are mothers, fathers, sons and daughters—and a safer Tulsa is a responsibility we all share.
There was plenty of evidence in 2019 to prove the idea of “One Tulsa” even before I frequently started using the term. Our homicide clearance rate was at 97%—far above the national average of just 60%.
While the Tulsa Police Department and our investigators leave no stone unturned in the quest for justice for the victims of violence, we could not have that level of success without the help of our citizens. It takes incredible detective work, but also good citizens coming forward with information and being witnesses—it takes all of us working together.
To maintain our incredible momentum, I am focusing on our community outreach and our transparency efforts with citizens. Our Community Service officers dedicated thousands of hours to outreach in 2019 and I am putting those officers together in one unit, so we can reach more children and young adults than ever before.
We will also expand our Communications Unit, so that citizens can be assured that their police department is working for them. I also believe that transparency builds faith—and faith builds character—so our team is working tirelessly to meet the high expectations demanded of the Tulsa Police Department.
In closing, I want to thank you for your confidence in our department and I want to thank our police officers for their dedication to the safety of every citizen. Our success in 2020 and beyond demands that we all do our part. We are all one. We are “One Tulsa.”
Read the 2019 Tulsa Police Department Annual Report
