Police Grant Questioned


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Reported by: Douglas Clark
Updated: 3/09/2010 5:40 pm Published: 3/09/2010 1:00 pm


Mayor Dewey Bartlett in the hot seat.  Tuesday, city councilors questioned him about a federal grant used to rehire police officers.  Fox 23's Douglas Clark has the story.
 
Did the mayor wait too long before asking for financial help from the federal government?  That's what city councilors are trying to find out.
 
The issue is a federal grant used to rehire 35 Tulsa police officers.  They were off the job for several weeks, costing the city more than $300,000 in severance.
 
Based on his research, Councilor Bill Christiansen says the administration could have asked the federal government to use the grant money to retain the officers, in order to avoid actually laying them off and paying the severance.
 
A representative from the federal government told Fox 23 that in most cases, employees do not actually have to be laid off before requesting a change in how the grant money would be used.
 
But Mayor Bartlett says he was told the opposite by the federal government, that the layoffs had to actually occur.
 
He says ongoing negotiations with the police union made it difficult to predict whether the layoffs that occurred in late January would become permanent, which is why he waited more than a week before contacting the Justice Department. 
 
“I was very serious in still trying to negotiate with the police union.  I still thought there was a good possibility that we could make a deal and come up with some sort of compromise,” says Bartlett.
 
Fox 23 obtained an email between the Department of Justice and the mayor's Chief of Staff Terry Simonson, which states that grant money could be used to retain officers.  The city simply needs documentation regarding potential, but not actual layoffs.
 
Separately Tuesday, the mayor said next year, he would consider using the federal grant to hire sheriff's deputies to help protect Tulsa, if economic conditions remain challenging.  When asked how he felt about that possibility, Chief Chuck Jordan said that right now, Tulsa has an adequate number of officers to protect Tulsa.
 
As far as the 89 officers still off the job, there is no indication they will be rehired by the end of the fiscal year June 30th.  The mayor said current negotiations are focused mainly on next year's contract.

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The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of KOKI FOX23 - Tulsa

3doglover - 3/9/2010 11:40 PM
It is obvious from Bartlett's comments he is no longer making any attempt to negotiate in bringing our much needed police officers back. He now is only wanting to concentrate on hiring more county officers, NOT city. This has all been a made up scam to try to ruin the FOP and yet all it has done is robbed 89 officers of their hard earned job. Since Bartlett feels he should make the 160K salary for his job, I hope he encounters someone threatening him with a gun at work and see how he enjoys it and what he thinks it is worth to him to risk his life. I can't even visit my father's grave without seeing Officer Gus Spano's grave and knowing he was shot stopping a speeder who just robbed someone. I wish the people of Tulsa knew that Bartlett could not make a decision and what do you expect from a rich kid raised on oil money. I hope Bartlett had a great Christmas because he sure ruined a lot of family's holiday this last year and he has no intention of making any effort in rehiring officers to make our city safe, nor does he care about the money Tulsa has spent training these men and women. He sure doesn't care about their families and Tulsa's safety. I hope people will do all they can to get rid of Mr. Rich guy with the oiled ladle in his mouth, chin or no chin.

Vaughni - 3/9/2010 6:15 PM
Sounds to me that there are some people (not naming) that needs to pull they're heads out of they're a** and go ahead and hire the police officers back. What kind of games are being played with our safety? Wake up involved parties and look alittle further than at the end of your noses. The violence has increased rapidly, simply because the people doing crime KNOWS that there's a shortage of police officers, and not much will be done about it. And if we the law abiding citizens, goes out and purchases a weapon to keep us and our family safe, and if we shot and killed one of those creeps, we get arrested and thrown in prison. WE NEED ALL THE OFFICERS BACK ON THE STREET TO KEEP US SAFE.
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