Tulsa Police, Tulsa County Sheriff's Office Work With High School Students In 'Project Trust'

The Tulsa Police Department and the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office will work with high school students as part of a program called Project Trust. 

Project Trust was canceled last year because of the pandemic. So many students wanted to participate this year, they had to create two groups.

For 45 minutes each Wednesday for six weeks, the students will discuss a wide range of topics with Tulsa Police Officers and Tulsa County Deputies. 

“A better understanding of the programs or like the training they go through like community policing and what their involvement is in the communities," said Oki Darrow.

Darrow has never interacted with police officers one-on-one before, but Project Trust has changed that.

“The name of the program is project trust and the only way to build trust is to be frank and is to be honest with each other and that’s what we’re here to do. We’re here to be honest with the students, answer their questions. Hopefully answer some of their concerns about law enforcement and just kind of build that partnership with them," said Captain Michael Heisten with Tulsa County Sheriff's Office. 

Captain Heisten said programs like this are vital in building relationships between law enforcement and the community. 

“We’re trying to be on the productive side with our police officers and making sure that we’re building trust and building that communication between our youth and officers," said Karen Gilbert.

Gilbert is the Executive Director of Tulsa's Crime Prevention Network that runs Crimestoppers. She said this project will teach kids about the training officers receive and different kinds of situations officers see day to day. 

Darrow said after one day, she's already learned something new. “I learned a lot about the officers like they also have lives outside of this and stuff and a better understanding of them as people that’s one thing I learned," said Darrow.

Next up, the students will get to see the TPD helicopter and watch Tulsa Police K-9 officers training.