jonathan, Author at Tulsa Country Sheriff's Foundation

BNSF Railway Foundation Makes Donation

jonathan — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 19:16:49 +0000

In December the Sheriff’s foundation submitted an application to the BNSF Railway foundation for funding support of the emerging body worn camera in the Sheriff’s Office.

At the August meeting of the Foundation, Jeremy Grisham, Special Agent with the BNSF Police Department presented Chairman Tim Harris with a check in the amount of $10,000.

“We are so pleased and honored that the BNSF Railway foundation has stepped up to improve the public safety of the citizens of Tulsa County. It is this type of corporate citizenship that makes all of us proud that BNSF cares so much about our community. We can’t thank them enough” , Chairman Harris said during the presentation.

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Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office aims for body cams on patrol deputies by spring 2018

jonathan — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 15:56:30 +0000

Originally Posted by Tulsa World

Article by Harrison Grimwood

Original Article

The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office expects to equip patrol deputies with body-worn cameras within the first quarter of 2018.

The rollout of the pilot program, which includes body cameras and associated equipment provided by Axon, is pending approval of policies and procedures for use of the cameras.

“What this does is gives us a better tool for accountability and transparency that I do believe needs to be in place as we serve our citizens,” Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado said.

Axon, formerly known as TASER, provided 55 body-worn cameras — and the accompanying software, docking stations and digital storage — to the Sheriff’s Office. The goal is to have at least 80.

The equipment and storage are free for a year, after which the department can decide to discontinue the affiliation or begin paying Axon for data storage, according to a previous story.In either case, the Sheriff’s Office keeps the cameras without charge.

“Unfortunately, because of budget constraints, it’s difficult to put a system in place and sustain that going forward,” Regalado.

Sheriff’s Office officials said the estimated cost for storage, after the program expires, will be about $960 per camera per year.

After the yearlong deal expires, the Sheriff’s Office will have to request bids for continued storage of the videos, Regalado said.

Cherokee Nation Tribal Councilor Buel Anglen, who presented the donation to the Sheriff’s Office and its foundation, said the Cherokee Nation made the contribution to help the Sheriff’s Office protect tribal citizens and non-citizens.

“We believe, as Cherokees, we’re all one people,” Anglen said. “And we want everybody to be as safe as possible.”

Anglen’s district covers Tulsa County and Rogers County parts of the Cherokee Nation.

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Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office to Deploy Body Worn Cameras

jonathan — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 16:08:16 +0000

From the County By RON PETERS
Chairman, Tulsa Board of County Commissioners

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

In many cities and counties across American law enforcement is about to deploy body worn cameras (BWC) on an unprecedented scale. For the past decade, more and more agencies have acquired BWC, and it is estimated in the next few years nearly 1 million law enforcement officers will be wearing them.

Thanks to a very generous donation by camera vendor Taser (now Axon) to the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, they now have the equipment necessary to implement a one-year trial BWC program. Soon the Sheriff’s Office will have over 50 deputies trained and using this new technology for a number of public policy reasons.

Over the years, much has been learned of the benefits of BWC. This includes strengthening law enforcement accountability, preventing confrontational situations, improving agency transparency, correcting agency problems, and strengthening deputy performance through improved training. These benefits not only improve law enforcement performance, they also help tremendously with community relations.

As valuable as BWC’s are in achieving these benefits, there still remain great challenges with implementation. Chief among these is how to manage and afford the massive amount of storage capacity necessary to retain the videos. Equally challenging will be finding the balance between data security, confidentiality, and complying with the public’s insatiable appetite for the release of information.

To address the issue of video retention, Tulsa County, during this year’s legislative session championed an effort to pass legislation to define which incidents captured on a BWCneed to be retained for over a year and which can be kept less than a year as determined by the Sheriff and District Attorney.

Part of the implementation process will include managing expectations of both the Sheriff’s Office and the public. This community education is critically important so that community stakeholders understand the importance of working together to achieve public safety goals, how disrespect between deputies and community and a lack of trust interferes with that important partnership, and how community members themselves can stay safe.

Effective implementation will also require partnerships with associated criminal justice agencies, like prosecutors and the judiciary. Fortunately, the Tulsa County Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Council, composed of judges, prosecutors, public defenders, mental health professionals, police officers, and community members has endorsed the usage of BWC by the Sheriff’s Office.

Currently the Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office are writing policies and procedures for the use of the BWC which will serve as the training guides for the deputies. Following that, there will be field tests, monitoring, and evaluation to address issues which need to be addressed prior to full deployment.

The future of law enforcement in Tulsa County and across the country will become more reliant on the use of BWC technology and the benefits it brings to improve public safety and community relations. Tulsa County is preparing to embrace that future.

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Tulsa County Sheriff’s Foundation aims to raise $300,000 to implement body cameras, citizen advisory board

jonathan — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 13:48:42 +0000

Originally Posted by Tulsa World
Article by Cory Jones

Read Full Article Here

To help the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office cope with budget problems, officials on Monday announced the formation of a nonprofit foundation to help raise private dollars toward providing better law enforcement services.

The Tulsa County Sheriff’s foundation hopes to raise $300,000 as soon as possible for its first two priorities: obtaining body cameras for patrol deputies and establishing a citizen advisory board.

Tim Harris, a former Tulsa County district attorney, is serving as foundation chairman. He told reporters that for 16 years as district attorney, he consistently had to scramble to operate his office with steadily shrinking budgets.

“This is an opportunity for the people of Tulsa County to step up and help the sheriff deliver the kind of law enforcement product that he knows the people want,” Harris said. “I’m unabashedly in favor of going to the private sector.

“We just don’t have enough tax dollars, nor do we want to raise taxes in an effort to try to make this happen. So this will be a vehicle through which people can help public safety.”

Harris acknowledged the prior Sheriff’s Office administration under Stanley Glanz struggled with allegations of favoritism and special treatment for some personnel. That is why the foundation will listen to suggestions from the sheriff but still exist as its own entity, Harris said.

The foundation’s board of trustees will vet every dollar that passes through, he said.

“This foundation is separate and distinct from the Sheriff’s Office,” Harris said. “And we did that specifically so that no one could point fingers and say that anybody’s going to get any kind of special treatment.”

About $200,000 will be earmarked for body cameras for the approximately 50 patrol deputies for three years, with the remaining $100,000 to be directed toward a Citizen Engagement Advisory Board.

Sheriff Vic Regalado said a structure hasn’t been devised yet for the citizen advisory panel. The $100,000 will go toward a salary for the panel’s director, as well as to pay for advisory board members to undergo law enforcement training so they better understand the mechanics of the profession.

The concept of the advisory board will be for the community to offer regular input on policies, procedures and best practices, Regalado said.

“We’re not looking for a quick fix,” he said. “We’re looking for long-term solutions — programs that will be here long after I’m gone.”

Members of the foundation’s board of trustees are:

Frazier Henke, president and CEO of American Bank and Trust Co. in Tulsa.
Bob Jack, retired senior vice president of Manhattan Construction.
Rebecca Marks-Jimerson, a supporter of diversity and equality through administrative roles at higher education institutions and community organizations.
Jon McGrath, a railroad contractor and president of McGrath LLC in Tulsa.

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Outreach event offers hands-on experience of how officers handle tense situations

jonathan — Mon, 16 Jan 2017 03:21:52 +0000

Originally Posted on Tulsa World

By Kyle Hinchey, Tulsa World

Outfitted with extensive safety gear, state Rep. Kevin McDugle stepped out of the patrol vehicle and advanced toward the deputy, who was role-playing as the irate driver of a black Dodge pickup.

McDugle, a former Marines drill instructor, introduced himself to the woman as she repeatedly demanded to know why the “officer” had pulled her over. Focused on her temperament, McDugle failed to see her hand move to a gun loaded with blanks. Two shots rang out, causing the Wagoner County legislator to jump back in shock without ever grabbing his own gun from its holster.

The exercise lasted 16 seconds.

“What surprised me the most was how quick it actually happened,” said McDugle, R-Broken Arrow. “I had two rounds in me before I even knew it.”

The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office and the local Fraternal Order of Police lodges invited members of the public, government officials and media to the Law Enforcement Community Outreach and Education Day on Saturday. The event, held at TCSO’s training center in the 6000 block of East 66th Street North, featured a series of reality-based simulations allowing participants to experience firsthand the split-second decisions officers make during tense situations.

The scenarios, which included pedestrian checks and a suspicious call inside a building, play out differently depending on the actions of the participant and can last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes.

McDugle portrayed an officer involved in a traffic stop with an unruly driver. If he had ordered the woman to keep her hands visible and kept his composure, the stop might have had no fatalities, Tulsa FOP Chairman Jerad Lindsey said. It also could have ended with a gunfight.

“Even seasoned law-enforcement officers don’t always get these scenarios correct,” said Lindsey, who added that police undergo similar simulations during training. “A lot of it has to do with your mindset. You’re watching one thing, and something else happens. That’s the great thing about the training. That’s why we make it so challenging, so that it encompasses many different possible situations.”

Sheila Dills, a Tulsan who was invited to the event by Lindsey, lasted a little longer than McDugle but still met the same fate. Her scenario had a slight alteration, with a passenger in the pickup recording the encounter with his phone.

Instructors complimented Dills on requesting backup after realizing the occupants in the vehicle were uncooperative and told her the driver was able to shoot her because she paid too much attention to the passenger.

“I was looking at him because he was the one talking and everything,” she said. “Looking back at it now, I should have been more perceptive of what was going on with her, too. I’m a citizen. Certainly not a police officer.”

Sheriff Vic Regalado said the purpose of the event was to offer a better understanding of the numerous snap judgments officers are forced to make during high-stress encounters, especially ones that end with deadly force. He cited a rash of national incidents involving police in the past few years causing civil unrest and public distrust of law enforcement.

Read the Full Story Here

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Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office brings toys to Northwoods Fine Arts Academy

jonathan — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 03:21:41 +0000

Originally Posted on Sand Springs Leader

By Rachel Snyder

Santa and a group from the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office made a trip to Northwoods Fine Arts Academy Friday to surprise students with toys for Christmas.

Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado said members of the community donated toys, such as dolls, teddy bears, coloring books and more, for children in need.

Among the other places the group delivered toys to were Garfield Elementary, the Laura Dester Shelter and the Dream Center.

“The kids get to see us in a different light, the community gets to see us in a different light,” Regalado said. “Who doesn’t like seeing kids smile, especially around the holidays?”

Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Justin Green said the sheriff’s office brought enough toys for 40 families and more than 100 children.

Northwoods Fine Arts Academy Counselor Megan Elliott said the event was a special occasion for the students.

“It’s special when people come together to bless others,” Elliott said. “So many of our kids are less fortunate and this brings them joy.”

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Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office to honor corporal battling stage four breast cancer

jonathan — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 22:16:11 +0000

Originally Posted on Channel 8 KTUL.com

A man who has been in law enforcement for nearly 40 years is now getting help from the sheriff’s office he has served.

Corporal Dennis Miller, who just retired from the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office after nine and a half years, is battling stage four breast cancer.

“When they said you have breast cancer, it was like, ‘Really? Are you serious?” Miller said.

The corporal was diagnosed in September. The unexpected news has shocked his family, but he said the disease among men is not as uncommon as some may believe. Since his diagnosis, Miller said his doctors have told him eight more men in Tulsa were also tested for breast cancer.

“Now’s the time to be aware. You’ve got to be aware of what’s going on with your body,” Miller said. “And for men, you know, you laugh off breast cancer, but’s it’s not a laughing matter, and I’m here to attest to that.”

Miller said he is recovering from a broken rib after first finding out his condition. He’s also dealing with several tumors along his spine and hips and other symptoms that have weakened his body due to the severity of stage four breast cancer.

“I’ve always been a fighter, and I’ll never give up,” Miller said. “My faith and my family will carry me through all of this.”

Despite losing his hair during chemotherapy, Miller somehow managed to keep a mustache.

“It’s always been kind of a joke because I’ve always had a mustache since I was 14 years old,” Miller said.

Now, the joke has encouraged others at the sheriff’s office to grow one. The office will be holding a benefit concert in Miller’s honor Dec. 17 at the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame. Big names in Jazz music have offered to donate their talents in support of Miller, who also happens to favor the genre. The deputies will shave their mustaches during the event to show their support for Miller.

“In fighting cancer, you need all the support you can get, and it’s all about having a positive attitude,” said Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado. “And if we can just give him that then we’ll be the fortunate ones. It’s about keeping that fighting spirit and that positive attitude, and that’s what we want to be able to support so that he can maintain and beat this cancer.”

Since his diagnosis, the corporal said a typical week for him consists of a doctor’s visit and chemotherapy on Wednesdays. He said he also gets three different medications every three weeks.

“I’m just a fighter. It’s not going to get the better of me,” Miller said.

The benefit concert will be held from 6-8 p.m. Dec. 17. Tickets can be purchased online for $20 or for $25 at the door. Proceeds will go to Miller’s treatments and recovery.

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Dive Teams Searching Keystone Lake For Teen’s Prosthetic Leg

jonathan — Tue, 31 May 2016 03:22:01 +0000

Originally Posted on NewsOn.com

BY: TESS MAUNE, NEWS ON 6

TULSA COUNTY, Oklahoma –

Tulsa County’s dive team is using its training day to help a 15-year-old find his $18,000 prosthetic leg.

“It’s not every often we get to search for items like this,” said TCSO Deputy Chad Rose.

They’re helping look for 15-year-old Brendon Wiseley’s brand-new prosthetic leg. He lost it while tubing on Keystone Lake Sunday.

The leg is made of carbon fiber and titanium, so sank it right away.

“I was like, ‘Whoa, did that really just happen?’ Turned around and looked and it was gone,” Wiseley said.

Wiseley lost his foot the first time in a lawn mowing accident when he was 7. But it hasn’t slowed him down, he wrestles, plays football and races sprint cars. He also spent a year traveling the country as a Shriner’s Ambassador.

“You can’t let anyone put you down saying, ‘oh you’re different,’” he said.

He’s been through a number of prosthetics over the past eight years. For the time being, he’s using an old one that doesn’t fit quite right.

“It’s too small, it rubs, just doesn’t fit that good,” he said.

The new one was state of the art, waterproof and his doctor cleared him to go on the water with it, something he’d never done in the past.

“It had a latch where it stayed on real tight and everything. It wasn’t supposed to come off,” Wiseley said.

But, he said the water hit just right and with enough force that it pulled his leg into the water.

He posted about it on Facebook and News On Six reporter Tess Maune shared it. That post has reached more than 560,000 people.

“It was crazy…I’m glad lots of people shared it and liked it. It’s really cool,” Wiseley said.

The post also caught the eye of the Tulsa County dive team.

“We try to get as much diving and underwater time that we can get,” Rose said. “We practice with our search patterns, we run our sonar.”

The divers said because the area where Wiseley lost his prosthetic is a little shallower, they thought it might be easier to actually dive than use the sonar.

Rose said, “The more pinpoint location that we have, the better odds of us finding it.”

Wiseley knew exactly where he lost his leg and took the divers straight to it. They didn’t have any luck Tuesday, but that’s not going to hold Wiseley back.

“No, you just gotta keep pushing yourself. You can’t feel bad about anything, just keep up,” he said.

The divers said the conditions in the cove are perfect for finding the prosthetic, they just ran out of time Tuesday.

OHP’s dive team has offered to use their training day to search for the leg this week, too.

Wiseley said he won’t take his leg on the lake anymore, even though it’s supposed to stay on.

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