Posted on 05/25/2010 11:09:11 AM PDT by Osage Orange
Discrimination Lawsuit Results To Shake Up Tulsa Police Special Units
Posted: May 20, 2010 6:18 PM CDT Updated: May 21, 2010
By Lori Fullbright, The News On 6
TULSA, OK -- A 16-year legal battle between the Tulsa Police Department and the Black Officers Coalition ended Wednesday with some stipulations that will shake up the police department.
One of those stipulations is term limits – meaning any police officer who has been in a specialty unit or a combination of units for 15 years, must leave and go back to patrol.
The department doesn't know yet how many officers are affected. Those against term limits say people should be allowed to stay in a unit as long as they're doing a good job, that it should be based on their performance, not a number.
Those in favor of them, say it'll make those units accessible to more people, especially minorities.
Six of the 13 members of Tulsa's homicide squad are minorities. Term limits mean three members of the squad, including Sergeant Mike Huff and one minority would have to leave. Another minority officer would be booted next year.
The idea behind term limits is to allow more people a chance to work in these units that include homicide, robbery, burglary, sex crimes, family violence, child crisis, narcotics, gangs, and traffic units.
The Black Officers Coalition says it's too hard for any officer, minority or not, to get into these units and that will now change. They say patrol officers can bring fresh ideas to the units, and the detectives leaving them can add experience to the streets.
"I know, myself, when I first started in patrol, detectives who had been in detective division a long time, came back into the field and were very helpful to me as a young officer - and brought a lot of knowledge," said Tyrone Lynn, a Tulsa Police officer and member of the Black Officers Coalition.
Sergeant Gary Stansill is the head of the sex crimes unit. He is not affected but will lose two of his six detectives, including a minority. He said in a previous interview, what matters most is what's best for the citizens. He believes losing experienced people with special training who have become experts in their field, who are doing a great job, is not best for citizens.
A study shows there is a 60 percent turnover rate every five years in specialty units, so those against term limits argue there are plenty of chances for new people coming in without sacrificing experience.
Those for term limits say the department isn't losing that experience; it's just shifting it to a different place.
There are about 700 officers on the department and around 300 specialty unit jobs. Some units are excluded from the term limits, like helicopter, K-9 and bomb squad.
These changes go into effect in the fall. An officer must stay out of a specialty unit for at least one year, before applying to get back in.
The Fraternal Order of Police says it will challenge term limits in court
We are so screwed...
Can't wait for the "minority" cop...that get's term limited..and sues.
Well.., just on the face of it, 15 years is a long time and I don’t see any problem with moving people around in some organization (in this case, the Tulsa Police). It’s an opportunity for more people to be experienced under different jobs and circumstances. It doesn’t seem like a bad idea to me ...
I can’t see a problem with it ... and I have a relative (who is my own age) who is in the Tulsa Police, too... and I don’t have anything against them... :-) And, by the way, one of those units mentioned, he was in for a while ... the K-9 unit...
Read the excerpt, a minority officer is term limited out of homocide immediately.
The negative is that experienced people are effectively being given demotions for no reason other than political correctness. The department will lose experienced officers to other departments and retirement.
If they aren’t doing a good job, they can be removed from the units.
Noted.
Seems rather obvious.
The negative is that experienced people are effectively being given demotions for no reason other than political correctness.
I guess it depends on whether one thinks it's a "political correctness" thing or whether it's a good policy to mix your people around in an organization to give them broad experience.
As for me, I think, for police offiers, it's a good idea and policy to mix them around in different departments and situations with the public. It's not a bad idea at all.
My relative, for example was not in the K-9 unit for all of his career ... :-)
Okay...so you don't want the most experienced cops solving crimes.
LOL ... how are you going to get experience for when those leave... :-) you bring in others who can gain the experience. That's how it works with a lot of organizations. If you leave it so that no one else can gain any experience, then you've got a lot of unexperienced ones.
And, in addition, when you bring in someone new, they are going to be working with the experienced ones. Then they will move up in experience and then they will show other news ones what to do in order for them to gain experience. 15 years is ample time for anyone to be trained and gain experience.
And I bet the officer sues...
We shall see....
Nothing more, nothing less...
But what's funny is....the unintended consequences, will whack those that wanted a supposed "level playing field".
I understand your stance....
I think it's wrong. And surprised you can't see that...
So be it.....
That will be interesting if he does. It would have been interesting if “minority” special units people were exempted. I wonder if it will just lead to retirments? 15 years plus 5 to 10 year to get into a special unit means most people term limited out may just retire.
The idea behind term limits is to allow more people a chance to work in these units that include homicide, robbery, burglary, sex crimes, family violence, child crisis, narcotics, gangs, and traffic units.
The Black Officers Coalition says it's too hard for any officer, minority or not, to get into these units and that will now change. They say patrol officers can bring fresh ideas to the units, and the detectives leaving them can add experience to the streets.
Just quoting a small section of it again ... and noting that I think the "cross-pollination" of ideas and experiences into different divisions, can only make for a better Tulsa Police Department, not a worse one. I think it benefits the citizenry. And I do live in Tulsa ... :-)
Why would a person join the force...work their way thru the ranks to a detective position...learning the ropes all the way up the ladder...only to be "term limited" back to patrol cop????
Well hell...a patrol officer now, with near zero detective experience...can jump right into being a Homicide detective.
Great..!! What a world!!
Can't wait until they start term limiting Doctor's............
Anyone can make a case for stupidity, because there is a little good even in the worst ideas. But why would any police force, or any government or corporate entity, want to remove their best, most experienced people from the jobs they've spent more than a decade learning to master?
The moving around of people for the sake of moving them around is pure stupidity. This decision wasn't born of the question 'how do we make this unit more effective, more efficient'?, it was born of the protests of the sacred "minorities" who asked, "how do we make this unit more 'FAIR' ", (according to our personal feeeelings)?. This is why America is falling apart so quickly, we operate on feelings today instead of intellect and common sense. American reasoning has become infected with f--e--e--l--i--n--g--s. It's a doomed experiment, and if it doesn't change we're a doomed country.
Let me know what you think then
Obviously I think your misguided....I would hope you would re-think your position.
It's only public safety at sake.....
I could write a book on this based on 30 years of personal experience and experimentation, but I won’t bother... too lazy. ;>)
I write only to say, “you are right”.
You said, what I was thinking.....
Thanks-
FRegards,
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