Tulsa World: Mayoral candidates Q&A

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Mayoral candidates Q&A

Tom Adelson
Democrat

By BRIAN BARBER & P.J. LASSEK World Staff Writers
Published: 10/4/2009 2:22 AM
Last Modified: 10/5/2009 12:20 PM

In the weeks leading up to the Nov. 10 city elections, the Tulsa World will present the mayoral candidates — Democrat Tom Adelson, Republican Dewey Bartlett Jr. and independent Mark Perkins — with various questions about issues facing the city. Here are the candidates' responses, in 100 words or less, to today's questions about public safety.

Question: All candidates talk about wanting to focus on and improve public safety, but what are the specific steps you would take to address crime in Tulsa, if you are elected?

Adelson: Crime occurs all over our city, and I encourage use of the CompStat system, which pinpoints criminal activity so a fast, coordinated response is possible. I will make sure that our officers are well-trained and equipped. And I support taking the $3.5 million in stimulus funds to hire the additional 18 officers. The tragic fatality of Jacob Barnes last week reminds us that all Tulsans deserve to be safe. There are no quick answers to frightening violence. I support a close partnership with clergy and community leaders to provide positive alternatives for our young people.

Bartlett: First, I will see to it that the violent crime hot spots are flooded with police presence and that we have strict code enforcement. I will direct (Police) Chief (Ron) Palmer to have a crime-fighting strategy to combat violent crime, particularly gang activity, to me by Jan. 15, 2010. I will spell out to him the precise goals and results I plan to achieve. Monthly, I will conduct town

hall meetings throughout Tulsa with the Tulsa Police Department and city councilors to hear from citizens. I will collaborate with the sheriff, area churches and school superintendents on this strategy.

Perkins: I believe in a multifaceted approach to public safety involving short- and long-term solutions. I supported the increase in manpower provided by the federal grant. I also support utilizing technology to assist our resource allocation. CompStat is a step in the right direction. We should also build relationships with residents through a visible and interactive police presence in the neighborhoods and by supporting watch programs. These tactics can yield the valuable intelligence used to prevent or solve crime. Since crime is usually about money, the key to long-term reduction in crime is through educational and economic opportunity.

Question: During Mayor Kathy Taylor's term, the police chief became one of the mayor's at-will employees. Would you keep Ron Palmer as Tulsa's top cop? Why or why not?

Adelson: No personnel decision is more critical than chief of police. Chief Palmer will assist in transitioning to a new chief within my first year in office. Twice named to lead, Chief Palmer has earned our thanks. When choosing a new chief, I'll begin by carefully examining internal candidates for their management ability and their ideas on how to best address the serious public safety issues facing our city. Those include the senseless wave of gang-related murders, the resurgent meth crisis and the ever-present task of adapting the force to best practices for both crime response and crime prevention.

Bartlett: During my first week, I will meet with Chief Palmer to discuss the options of his staying versus his retirement. If he has made the decision to retire, I will begin establishing the process for the selection of the new chief. If he expresses an interest in staying, I will tell him what I expect to see in the crime-fighting strategy report I want prepared and the specifics I want addressed. I will also clearly state to him that for as long as he is in my administration, he is the chief of police, not me, and that professionalism, not politics, will be the guiding force.

Perkins: I will certainly take Chief Palmer's service into account when deciding on the best leader for Tulsa's police force. However, I will not have sufficient information to make personnel decisions until after the election. As I've stated before, my singular focus is on results. I will fill every at-will position with the individual I believe most qualified and most likely to achieve the goals set by my administration. For police chief, I will tap the individual I determine most capable of leading TPD to success in protecting and serving the citizens of Tulsa.

Question: A recent council presentation showed the exponential growth of the city's public safety budgets without any real growth to the police manpower level. Do you believe Tulsa needs more officers and, if so, how would you fund them?

Adelson: Austin-based MGT produced a thorough analysis of TPD staffing needs. It calls for more officers to reach staffing levels consistent with comparable cities. TPD has some of the highest standards in policing and uses state-of-the-art equipment to best meet public safety needs. The same health insurance and retirement costs that plague the private sector impact our police costs. We must address rising costs as follows: First, seek operational cost savings that do not jeopardize public safety. Secondly, explore with surrounding communities and Tulsa County the feasibility of combining our law enforcement agencies while maintaining TPD standards.

Bartlett: Yes, Tulsa needs more officers, and this can be accomplished through several means. An evaluation and redeployment of sworn officers presently occupying administrative or managerial functions to emphasize fighting crime will put more officers on the streets. Civilians and reserve officers are a resource we need to use for administrative tasks. I will find ways to increase the use of reserve police officers. This might require a change in the minimal education requirements, which are currently very similar to the sworn police officer requirements. The city has already done a manpower study, which tells us what we need and where we need it.

Perkins: Yes, I believe that we do need more officers, and I believe that our mayor and the council did the right thing in accepting the stimulus grant money to add 18 officers to our police force. In exchange for the three years of funding, Tulsa committed to fund the fourth year of their service, which is presently estimated to cost $1.3 million. I am confident in my ability to eliminate sufficient waste in three years' time to pay that price. I also believe I will be successful through other initiatives to increase our revenues to pay for our public safety officers. By BRIAN BARBER & P.J. LASSEK World Staff Writers

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	Report Comment GARFIELD, TULSA (10/4/2009 8:41:26 AM) Mr. Bartlett wins this early questioning, brief and to-the-point. And I usually vote Democrat, not always!!
	Report Comment FUTURE WORLD, Tulsa (10/4/2009 11:43:33 AM) I've heard enough already. LETS VOTE!
	Report Comment Brooksider, Tulsa (10/4/2009 10:26:25 PM) Where will they cut other services to pay for more police? Will they sacrifice water quality? Previous mayors have already sacrificed street maintenance, so there isn't much there to take. Water and sewer maintenance? IT? Where? Everyone talks about inefficiency as if it were a given that it exists and can be reduced by such an amount. Maybe. Department heads, including the police chief, should not be at-will employees. When a position is temporary, lasting only through one administration, there is a tendency for the incumbent to focus on flashy, short-term solutions which come back to haunt citizens (and future mayors) when the long-term negatives become apparent.

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