Tulsa Police Captain talks new recruits, 911 dispatchers and public safety resources

This week, 14 new officers began their careers with the Tulsa Police Department. Another graduating class is expected in just a few months. Captain Richard Meulenberg joined News On 6 to discuss the department’s latest additions and other safety efforts.

Q: Captain, thank you for being here. We saw the graduation last week. Can you talk a little about that and what these new officers are doing now?

A: The officers just finished an elongated academy. We have 14 rookie officers and one firefighter. That firefighter is going to be an inspector. I think he was a captain with the fire department, so he was probably one of the older folks going through the academy—good for them. They’re all going through field training now.

Field training is a four-month process where they’re paired off with a senior officer, a field training officer, and they’re out there doing the job under close supervision. So what you’ll see out there a lot is just a pair of people—someone who probably looks a little doe-eyed and young, and they’re trying to learn the ropes. They just graduated this last week, so the first couple of weeks are just observation. They look like cops, they are cops, but now they’re learning how to do it from the streetside.

Q: In a few more months, you’ve got another group coming. If someone is watching and interested in becoming an officer, what are the requirements?

A: One of the thresholds that people have issues overcoming is a bachelor’s degree. We require a bachelor’s degree to get here, but I feel like it’s a huge advantage for our officers.

So much so that we have partnerships with universities. At this last graduation, we had a woman who not only got her badge on stage and became a Tulsa police officer—she got her diploma as well. She’s part of New Mexico State University, and they sent the professor of criminal justice here to give her diploma on stage.

Other than that, it’s 21 to 45 years of age. Our website is jointpd.com. Go there. All the information about becoming a police officer is there.

Q: Can you talk about the importance of 911 dispatchers and the new COPES partnership?

A: That’s a lot to unpack. So, it’s Telecommunicators Week for us and all over the country. We have this amazing group of people who are the conduit between people needing help and us providing it—not just police, but also fire and EMSA.

When something goes bump in the night or there’s a medical emergency and you call 911, these are the people who are down in our Public Safety Center taking your calls and getting us to the scene. This is the week we celebrate everything they do for us.

Just like everyone else, we are hiring—jointpd.com. We also just announced our new partnership with COPES (Family & Children’s Services’ Community Outreach Psychiatric Emergency Services). Mayor Nichols was in there with us when we did that.

This is another resource for those struggling with mental health issues. It’s not a replacement for the 988 suicide crisis system—it’s a complement to our existing dispatchers.

RELATED: Tulsa adds mental health clinicians to 911 center

Q: So if someone calls 911 and it’s a mental health crisis, they could be connected with a clinician through this new partnership?

A: Yes. They’re sitting there monitoring calls. If they see someone is having a mental health issue, they’ll parse that off to them and start working on it from a mental health standpoint.

Sometimes, with mental health calls, the person doesn’t necessarily need police, fire, or EMSA. They have a separate set of things they need handled.

Q: A lot of people are buying and selling on Facebook Marketplace or other platforms. What safety tips do you have for those situations?

A: It’s tough out there, and people are trying to save money. They’re buying from someone else, and if you’re buying something through an online presence or a phone call, we encourage people to use our police stations.

We’ve got three main substations around town. Even if you’re on less friendly terms with an ex and doing a child exchange, use our police stations.

There are scammers out there taking advantage of people selling or buying goods online. Never, ever have someone come to your home to buy something. It’s unfortunate, but these are the issues we deal with. Use our facilities to keep yourself safe.

Q: The bad guys trying to scam you most likely won’t want to show up at police property.

A: If they do, they’re pretty dumb.