Tulsa World: Tulsa councilors remain divided on police stimulus issue

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Tulsa councilors remain divided on police stimulus issue

Tulsa City Councilors Bill Christiansen (left) and Rick Westcott (right). Tulsa World File

By BRIAN BARBER World Staff Writer
Published: 9/15/2009 1:43 PM
Last Modified: 9/15/2009 2:48 PM

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As Tulsa’s City Council finally nears a vote on whether or not to accept $3.5 million in federal stimulus money to hire 18 police officers, councilors remain divided on the issue.

The council plans to hear public comments about the Community Oriented Policing Services grant at its 6 p.m. Thursday meeting and vote two weeks later.

The deadline to make a decision is Oct. 27, which is 90 days after the city received the grant award letter.

But most of the councilors indicated during Tuesday’s committee meetings that their minds are made up.

Councilor Rick Westcott referenced a Tulsa World poll that showed 73 percent of Tulsans believe the council should take the grant money.

“In a vacuum, it sounds like a great idea,” he said. “But there’s a lot more to it than that.”

Westcott said he thinks it would be unwise for the city to accept one-time grant money to create future, ongoing financial obligations, particularly with the economy in such turmoil.

The grant would pay for the 18 officers’ salaries and benefits for three years, and then the city would be required to keep them for at least an additional year at a total cost of $1.3 million.

The city also would pay the

$396,600 needed to immediately train and equip the officers.

Councilor Bill Christiansen said he supports accepting the grant because he believes Tulsa’s economy will turn around to be able to afford the officers.

“You know, life’s a gamble sometimes,” he said. “I think this is a good risk for the city to take.” By BRIAN BARBER World Staff Writer

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Reader comments for this story have been moved to the most updated version of the story, now under the headline "Council split on police stimulus grant," which was published on 9/16/2009. So far, 29 comments have been made.