Texas is about to benefit from a whole lot of Tulsa law enforcement expertise. Five Texas agencies were in Tulsa on Monday interested in hiring dozens of laid off TPD officers.
FOX23’s Abbie Alford was at the job fair and spoke with some of those laid off officers.
"It's been over a week since 124 Tulsa Police officers lost their jobs. That's why Plano, Garland Arlington, Mesquite police departments and the Texas Department of Public Safety are looking to recruit those officers.
Even officers currently on TPD are looking too. They say the money is better and at Garland it’s a lateral move. They’ll get paid for the their length of service as a policeman.
At Arlington the recruiter says the department has never had layoffs. That is big selling point for Wyatt Beaty who has been working for free as a reserve officer since he was laid off on January 29th.
"I always wanted to be a Tulsa Police officer. I've got to support my family if Tulsa is not willing to let me do that then I am going to have to find a place that will," says Beaty.
It looks like Texas will and will even pay these laid off officers more.
"Everybody that's here, everybody is from Texas is a lot better than here," says Anthony Finnegan.
Finnegan joined TPD in July of 2008 and he doesn’t think it’ll cost him any more to live around Dallas. However, it’s not an easy leave for him or his running partner Paul Madden.
"Nobody wants to leave home cause this is home. But we have to do what we have to do and we have to make those hard decisions than we have to make them," says Madden.
Madden and Finnegan have been laid off twice from TPD and Texas DPS is making the decision a little easier for them.
"Get those written tests done here so. Save you a trip to Texas," says Texas Department of Public Safety.
Garland’s recruiter, Officer Molly Norton says TPD academic requirement and training will help these officers potentially land jobs.
"Tulsa has a reputation for having a good police department so now I feel like their experience could benefit the agencies in Texas," says Norton.
It’s a job they love but it’s the uncertainty in Tulsa they can do without.
"I have to look for something else because you can't guarantee anything at this point. I mean two times, that's two times more than I expected," says Finnegan.
Arlington PD didn’t have an exact number of open positions, Garland said right now there are 12 positions open, Plano has two, Mesquite five positions and Texas DPS has a number of positions open across the state.
Tulsa's Interim Police Chief says he has a plan to hopefully re-hire some of the officers who were laid off.
The city and TPD are also looking at $2.5 million federal Justice Assistance Grant that could rehire at least 30 officers.
Last Thursday councilors approved giving utility customers an option to donate to support fire and police services. Councilors are hoping they help them hire more firefighters and police officers.
