it's been a rough few days dealing with snow, ice, and below-freezing temperatures. It makes everyone's job a little more challenging especially when it comes to law enforcement. Tulsa Police Chief Dennis Larsen spoke to us about that and other issues law enforcement faces.

Winter Storm Response

According to Chief Larsen, the city's response has been highly effective. "It's really probably one of the best responses in snow events, how the city has handled it," Larsen said. He praised the Tulsa Street Department for working efficiently alongside the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) to keep arterial roads clear, while ODOT managed highways such as I-44 and the Broken Arrow Expressway.

Despite the harsh conditions, law enforcement saw minimal disruption.

"We only had one police car that was in a minor accident where the officer was actually out of the car and another car slid into the police car," Larsen noted.

He credited the public for adhering to guidance from the mayor’s office to stay home, allowing road crews to do their job. "If you drove in this morning, the streets every day have gotten incrementally better," he added, emphasizing the effectiveness of pre-treatment strategies.

Gun Violence and Youth Involvement

In light of recent violent incidents involving teenagers, including a quadruple shooting, concerns about rising crime trends have surfaced. However, Larsen pushed back against the notion of a growing crisis.

"I don't think it's a growing trend. I think it's a trend we've been addressing for three years, and actually, they tend to come in clusters," he explained.

He highlighted that shootings categorized as "shooting with intent to kill" have decreased by 50% over the last three years. Addressing the root cause, Larsen pointed out that many juveniles involved in shootings should not have access to firearms.

"Most of the shootings that involve juveniles or very young people, they're not old enough to have a gun. So the question becomes, where'd they get the gun?" he said. Often, firearms are either taken from homes, purchased illegally, or stolen from vehicles.

To prevent further tragedies, Larsen urged gun owners to secure their weapons properly. "Don't leave them in the car. Lock them up when they're at home. Know where they're at, leave them in unloaded status with the ammunition separated from the weapon," he advised.

He stressed that responsible gun storage is critical, especially in homes with children.

"The last shooting we had was purely accidental, where a nine-year-old got hold of a gun and he thought it was unloaded and went off, and it turned out tragically," he said, emphasizing that such incidents are preventable.

Tulsa Police and Immigration Enforcement

Larsen addressed the Tulsa Police Department's role in federal immigration enforcement, particularly in response to recent discussions on deporting illegal immigrants. "Ours has not changed since 2003," he stated.

Officers do not actively seek out undocumented individuals but check immigration status when a suspect is arrested for a felony or serious state charge and booked into the David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center.

"If they are in the country illegally, there's a hold placed on them at the David L. Moss Detention Center, the federal government is notified, and the deportation actually occurs from there," Larsen explained.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) takes over the deportation process from that point. Tulsa police primarily focus on criminal activities, such as drug trafficking and violent offenses, rather than enforcing immigration status directly.

"Our part is, really, when we identify if we go after a fentanyl dealer, or we go after a career criminal, or somebody who's committing a violent crime in Tulsa, and we take them into custody," he clarified.

Family Safety Center Progress

Larsen shared promising updates about the Family Safety Center, a facility designed to support victims of domestic violence and other crimes.

"The Family Safety Center is topped out, supposed to be open sometime between October and December," he announced. The facility aims to serve not only Tulsa but also surrounding areas, including Broken Arrow, Sapulpa, Sand Springs, and Owasso.

He praised the efforts of those behind the project who have been instrumental in securing funding and driving construction forward.

"It has taken a long time. Ms. Stewart, who heads that drive up, to get that facility funded and built, has done a remarkable job," he said. The center is expected to be a "world-class facility" that will provide much-needed resources for victims and law enforcement alike.