Tulsa Police Set New Record For Taking Guns Off The Streets

The mission of Tulsa Police Department's Organized Gang Unit is to take guns away from criminals, and they're having a record year doing it. 

Monday, October 20th 2014, 11:08 am

By: News On 6

Tulsa Police Set New Record For Taking Guns Off The Streets

The mission of Tulsa's organized gangs unit is to take guns away from criminals, and they're having a record year doing it. They've confiscated 177 illegal weapons so far this year, a mixture of handguns and high-powered rifles.

In the past, the gangs unit has focused on the narcotics side of the gang world, but in the past few years, that focus has changed to getting illegal guns off the streets. And, that new focus is working.

For example, Tulsa's gang unit had a hand in arresting two men last week, accused of doing several armed robberies. Justin Demolle, 23, and Reginald Girod, 22, were taken into custody Wednesday, October 15, 2014.

When officers made the arrest, they also confiscated the gun.

"They were gang affiliated, guys we had dealt with several times in the past," said Sergeant Sean Larkin.

10/15/2014 Related Story: Tulsa Police Arrest Two Connected To String Of Armed Robberies

"They were gang affiliated, guys we had dealt with several times in the past," said Sergeant Sean Larkin.

"A lot of these guys get guns to commit crimes, it's not just for personal protection, it's to prey on others as well."

The Oklahoma Attorney General's Office gave the Tulsa police department $230,000 in Safe City grant money that had to be used to target violent criminals.

Some of the money went to the Fugitive Squad and Detective Division, and $69,000 went to the gangs unit. That money is used to pay officers overtime to do extra patrols where gang members hang out and sell drugs - and to work gang shootings and assaults.

Sergeant Larkin says gangs and gun go together.

"It's a part of the lifestyle, that's the thing, for a lot of these guys, it's strictly power," he said.

He says most gang members steal guns from people's homes and cars, but sometimes, they also get someone to buy it for them.

He believes the police strategy in finding and taking these guns is working. The department's previous high was in 2009 when they confiscated 163 firearms. In 2013, they recovered 138.

"Every gun we take from somebody, that person's not out committing a robbery that night, not out shooting a rival gang member, not out robbing or shooting an innocent citizen or something like that," said Sergeant Sean Larkin, Tulsa Police.

The gang guys say as the number of illegal firearms being confiscated goes up, the number of deadly assaults with weapons goes down. They're glad the grant money has been extended another year and hope to see that success continue.