The search for a new police chief continues

The search for Tulsa’s next chief of police continued last week in a special meeting between Mayor G.T. Bynum and the city’s Hispanic leaders.

The event was organized by Vicente Ruiz and the Council for Safe Neighborhoods and took place at Speedy Gonzales restaurant on South Memorial Drive.

“We’re going through the process right now of hiring a new police chief,” the mayor told La Semana. “It’s very important to me that whoever that is, is personally and directly engaged with the Hispanic community in Tulsa, and that the Hispanic community feels that that chief is very approachable and can go to him with any concerns they have.”

Bynum pointed out that there are currently seven candidates from within the ranks of the Tulsa Police Department who have applied for the job of chief, and said he will be interviewing them in the days to come.

“But before we do that, I wanted to come meet with some of the leaders in the Hispanic community and hear what they’re hoping to see from this new Chief before I interview any of the candidates,” the mayor said. “And so that’s what brings me here today.”

Those in attendance said they would like to see more diversity on the force, but had no ethnic litmus test for the TPD’S new leader.

Bynum said public safety is very important to him, and he wants every Tulsa resident, regardless of their immigration status, to know that.

“We want everyone who’s here to be safe, especially from violence, and that’s something we’ve really tried to focus on reducing in the last few years here in Tulsa.” (La Semana)