Tulsa Police - the cars do not belong to them - they are paid by our tax money!

[TUalum0982]

I am against allowing cops to take home their cars if they live outside the city limits even in good economic times. and i live in a suburb.

once again your logic is flawed. Like I have mentioned in the other thread, a person like myself living at 111th and hwy 75 (just outside tulsa city limits) who works out of Riverside division (73rd and Riverside) has a shorter drive then an officer who lives at 111th and Sheridan and drives to Gilcrease.  Simply because they live "in the city limits" doesn't mean they have a shorter drive over someone that doesnt.  Someone living 6 miles north of Gilcrease would be out of the city limits but a lot closer then someone who lives at 81st and Garnett.  Its ignorant to assume that because the officer lives in the city, they must be closer to their divison when its not always the case. 

[brianh]

once again your logic is flawed. Like I have mentioned in the other thread, a person like myself living at 111th and hwy 75 (just outside tulsa city limits) who works out of Riverside division (73rd and Riverside) has a shorter drive then an officer who lives at 111th and Sheridan and drives to Gilcrease.  Simply because they live "in the city limits" doesn't mean they have a shorter drive over someone that doesnt.  Someone living 6 miles north of Gilcrease would be out of the city limits but a lot closer then someone who lives at 81st and Garnett.  Its ignorant to assume that because the officer lives in the city, they must be closer to their divison when its not always the case.  

It was your choice to live outside of the city though, you could have bought some place on Riverside and made that area a little safer. Actually that brings up a nice idea, maybe we should give bonuses to officers who live SW of 61st & Lewis. Those officers can move back to Tulsa and keep more money in our city. To serve and protect(while living far away from where we're needed most).

[TUalum0982]

It sounds like it was your choice to live outside of the city though, you could have bought some place on Riverside and made that area a little safer. Actually that brings up a nice idea, maybe we should give bonuses to officers who live SW of 61st & Lewis.To serve and protect(while living far away from where we're needed most).

First off, I am not a police officer for TPD.  I am working on submitting my application to become one.  I was simply stating where I live in comparison to a local police station in my example.   

In your scenario, I would get a bonus.  I live south and west of 61st and lewis!

EDIT:  Since you edited and put in BOLD that last sentence, I wouldnt call myself living at 111th and hwy 75 FAR from where we are needed the most.  I am a mere 7.5 miles from 61st and Peoria area.  In fact, I know of several officers who live near 81st and 33rd, and since they live 1 block WEST of 33rd, they are technically in CREEK county yet have a Tulsa address.  So since they live in a totally DIFFERENT county they are FAR away, yet their neighbor across the street (a stones throw of maybe 50ft) would be considered close and is in a position where he is needed the most? It all makes perfect sense to me now (sarcasm).

CF:  its amazing how that works. Our "big brother" down the pike of course finds ways to add police officers while we are trying to rehire the ones we laid off using federal dollars that was supposed to HIRE 18 more officers, not maintain the ones we currently have.  Shows you how screwed up Tulsa is currently.  Wow

[cannon_fodder]

TU Alum:

We've been over and over this.  It is more likely than not that driving a vehicle outside the city limits of Tulsa ADDS overall mileage.  While a few officers will save mileage, in the aggregate eliminating we save tons of miles.

This is true both in the real world (where ~400 cars would save 2X miles each day) and the hypothetical world (where those 400 officers then relocate inside the City limits).  By eliminating the random data points OUTSIDE the city limits, statistically the miles driven would go way down. 

It's a moot point anyway, the political maneuver is nearly complete.   The FOP will make some phantom concession and the 3 other officers will be retained.
- - -

Anecdotal, I know of several prospective officers that were signed up for that academy and are now moving to Norman or OKC to seek a job on their forces.  Apparently they are both hiring while we are in crisis mode. 

[PonderInc]

The weirdest twist in this whole thing was when the TPD officers picketed Mayor Taylor's home the other day.  Instead of picketing their fellow officers who drive to Owasso every day but won't give up their cars, (or picketing the homes of everyone who shops online, and thus, doesn't pay Tulsa city sales taxes...), they were marching by the home of someone who works 80+ hours a week for no pay...to complain about their benefits packages!  Perhaps they should take a cue from KT, and just work for free for a few years.  Heck, I'd even let them keep their cars!

[shadows]

The federal stimulus to hire 18 new officers for three years has been converted to retaining the present 18 officers.  There is a condition to the grant that the officers must be retained by the city a fourth year with the city picking up the tab.  After the third year the city could still be strapped for funds which would cause the firing  again of another 18 officers.  If there is an exit to the burbs, which will be shown in the census now being taken, such funds still may not be available at that time. (the great depression last 15 years and WWll ) Seems there is a need to prepare now on this short range problem such as taking advantage of being a resident of the city if one is a city employee.  The illustration used on city employees driving only three miles out of the city in a city owned car is not taking in consideration of how many miles the car is driven from the last point of city use, across the city to get to a point three miles outside the city.

One would believe that some of the grown ups like the children are having trouble with Math.  Its is the story of the grasshopper and the ant again.      

[swake]

Question,

Since take home cars for police that live outside of Tulsa are purely part of the officers compensation, are all these officers paying proper state and federal income taxes on this benefit?

[Red Arrow]

Question,

Since take home cars for police that live outside of Tulsa are purely part of the officers compensation, are all these officers paying proper state and federal income taxes on this benefit?

I doubt the IRS cares where the officers live if it is a taxable benefit.

[shadows]

The editorial in today's papers points out that part of the emergency cops live outside the city thus they surely drive emergency equip cars.  In case of a true emergency, such is happening in many of the cities, would it be possible to just say "hold on guys our emergency squad is coming in from Wagoner and Claremore and they will be here in about 25 minutes to take care of this".   Tulsa seems to be in line for a real emergency and is just waiting for a place in time as crowds gather during the coming Holiday season.  Should they prepare now instead of waiting for another unnecessary  killing only to please the union?

The cops union says they will make no more concessions.  Doesn't the statement of sworn officers include "protect its citizens to the best of my ability"?

Tulsa citizens seem to be under an emergency and shortchanged because of an union contract that should have never been authorized.  The show of any marked police car in a crowded parking lot discourages criminals.  It is time to allow marked take-home cars to be used for personal business as long as it is in the city limits.     
       

[MDepr2007]

The Family Dollar on 11th street, which is next to the Mingo Valley station, was held up the other evening. If someone will robb a place next to a police station ,a police car in a driveway or parking lot is not going to deter someone from committing a crime either.

[jne]

The Family Dollar on 11th street, which is next to the Mingo Valley station, was held up the other evening. If someone will robb a place next to a police station ,a police car in a driveway or parking lot is not going to deter someone from committing a crime either.

OK, I have to call this one as compete and total B.S.  Of course a parked car is a deterrent!  There are always exceptions.  How about good lighting, neighborhood watch groups, alarm systems - are these all a wasted effort?  Plenty of homes that have these deterrents have been robbed.  I have heard a lot of officers comments on the take home car policy and I'm shocked at the sorts of ridiculous arguments good sensible people will latch on to to serve their own interests.  Weather or not the figures we are hearing about the savings from the take-home-to-my-suburb car policy are accurate or not, there is huge value in having those cars parked on the streets - it's too bad that it can't be quantified and considered in the estimate.  Further value would come from the incentive of having a take home car if you actually live in the community you are serving.  It's common sense and it is public consensus.  If the FOP refuses to be responsive to that, then I'll expect its rapport with citizens to take a nose dive. 

[shadows]

The Family Dollar on 11th street, which is next to the Mingo Valley station, was held up the other evening. If someone will robb a place next to a police station ,a police car in a driveway or parking lot is not going to deter someone from committing a crime either.

In doing some contract work on a house where you could stand on the porch and look into the door of the police station on 11th street, we pushed the plastic bags of pot leaves off to the side out of the way in order to do the work.  In the rear of the house was a small building made of 2 by 4's covered with clear plastic.  Within the structure was a pot plant that when it grew to the 8 foot ceiling a two way slash was made in it and the plant extended 3 feet in the air.

When one speaks of the robbery of the Dollar store on 11th one can assume there could be an emergency created by a robbery of the police station or parking lot in that area. 

Why didn't I report it?  Because in the court I would not be qualified to determine what the plant was.     

[Conan71]

In doing some contract work on a house where you could stand on the porch and look into the door of the police station on 11th street, we pushed the plastic bags of pot leaves off to the side out of the way in order to do the work.  In the rear of the house was a small building made of 2 by 4's covered with clear plastic.  Within the structure was a pot plant that when it grew to the 8 foot ceiling a two way slash was made in it and the plant extended 3 feet in the air.

When one speaks of the robbery of the Dollar store on 11th one can assume there could be an emergency created by a robbery of the police station or parking lot in that area. 

Why didn't I report it?  Because in the court I would not be qualified to determine what the plant was.     

Tell me you at least swiped a bud off that 11 ft. pot plant.   

[buckeye]

One street south of mine, a shotgun was stolen from a parked police car at night.  I don't buy into the cop-car-as-deterrent idea.

[MH2010]

I've been on the department for about 10 years and have always lived in Tulsa. As a result, when I worked patrol, I had a marked take-home car and parked it at my house. During the time that I have had a marked vehicle at my house, my vehicle, my house nor any of my neighbors' houses (on my street) have ever been broken into. So my neighbors and I strongly believe it is a deterrent.