Part Of 'Improve Our Tulsa' Package Includes New Police, Fire Headquarters

Tulsans will vote in August on a $772 million "Improve Our Tulsa" sales tax extension. One of the projects would be a new Tulsa Police and Tulsa Fire department headquarters, for $47 million.

Chief Wendell Franklin said the current police station downtown was built in the 1960's and is old and crammed, to the point they have to put people’s offices in old closets, just to make it work. He said it's past the point of just needing a facelift, they need a whole new building.

Several detective units are housed in other buildings around the city because there isn't enough space for them downtown.

"It'll be great to be able to bring them all back together. There's a lot of collaboration that we do, lots of crimes that may involve an auto theft and may involve other criminal aspect that goes along with it and those detectives need to be able to talk to each other,” said Franklin.

Chief Franklin said there are also security concerns. Employee parking is underground, it's dark, and there's no way to stop people from getting down there, which has led to car break ins.

There's also some damage to the building, causing water to seep down into the basement parking garage.

There's only one public entrance to the building, which is hard to find.

“Even as we bring a prisoner in, or someone suspected of a criminal act, we are taking them past the rest of the public," Chief Franklin said.

Chief Franklin said a new building will also be beneficial to people who have to come to the police station as a victim, or to pay a ticket. Right now there's barely any parking.

"We want to create an inviting atmosphere for those people that need to come and do business with us,” said Franklin. "If we vacate this space and a private developer comes along and builds a hotel, and connects it to the convention center, that creates more revenue for our city."