With the resurgence of business and residency in Downtown Tulsa, the Tulsa Police Department is making an impact on crime and safety within the Inner Dispersal Loop (IDL) with the deployment of its location-focused micro units.

 

These units, which were launched in 2014, are led by Sergeant April Harding – who leads the AM Impact Team – and Sergeant Heath Brownell – who leads the PM Impact Team. These teams work daytime shifts, evening shifts, weekends, and holidays as needed - all with a focus to increase safety among businesses, residents, and visitors within the IDL.

 

"Downtown Tulsa has become a thriving entertainment district, and we’ve seen more than $1 billion in private investment in recent years as a result," Mayor G.T. Bynum said. "That growth and investment benefits every Tulsan, and the importance of safety in facilitating that growth will continue to be a priority for the City of Tulsa moving forward.”

 

These investigative units are already having an impact on ensuring public safety in the Downtown Tulsa scene.

 

From August 2023 to August 2024, these units have:

"The Tulsa Police Department is committed to ensuring safety in all parts of our city, and with the resurgence of Downtown Tulsa in recent years, we are placing a special emphasis on our operations within the IDL," Tulsa Police Chief Dennis Larsen said. "I want to commend Sergeant Harding and all of the officers who continue to make our Downtown a safer place for all Tulsans and visitors to our city."

 

Part of the success of TPD's Downtown Tulsa Impact Units is because of the support from other partner agencies that include the Downtown Tulsa Partnership, City of Tulsa Security, the Tulsa Fire Department, the Tulsa Parks and Recreation Department, the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office, the City Prosecutors Office, and many more. These partnerships are key in information sharing, helping with quicker response times and better outcomes.

 

"Our units have been able to be so successful by engaging in tactics such as high visibility patrols, community engagement and targeted enforcement," Sergeant Harding said. “Our mission with the Downtown Impact Units is to ensure everyone in the IDL feels safe. We do this by having visible officers in uniforms patrolling this area of Tulsa to help send that message of safety to the public.”

 

The continued plans for the Downtown Impact Units include prevention and reduction of crime by being a visible presence in the IDL area and increasing community outreach to educate and assist the businesses, residents, or visitors with any law enforcement assistance they may need. Proceeding in ongoing investigations of major crimes and continued patrolling for arrests and citations will also be focus points.

 

For more information about the Tulsa Police Department, visit: www.TulsaPolice.org