Safe Hotels Initiative leads to safer Broken Arrow for guests and residents

A new approach to hotel safety in Broken Arrow is producing significant results. The city’s “Safe Hotels Initiative,” designed to reduce crime and enhance communication between police and hotel staff, has resulted in a notable decline in calls for service.

Police say the collaborative effort is reshaping how hotels respond to safety threats and helping law enforcement allocate resources more effectively.

Hotel-Related Police Calls Drop More Than 50 Percent

Before the initiative launched, Broken Arrow police responded to 605 calls for service at local hotels in 2021-2022. Since the initiative launched in 2023, that number has dropped to just 259 in 2024-2025.

Officers say the steep decline is one of the clearest signs that the program is working.

How the Safe Hotels Initiative Works

The initiative starts with data. Police track calls for service at each hotel and use that information to evaluate safety risks. They do this by taking all police calls for service and then excluding calls that are officer-initiated, such as pedestrian checks, vehicle checks, alarms without a police nexus, and certain medical calls.

Police then divide those call numbers by the number of rooms per hotel so that each hotel can be looked at and assessed equally.

From there, officers offer tailored support to hotel staff, including site assessments, crime prevention training and educational classes.

“Once we get those numbers, that allows us to kind of evaluate, OK, where do we need to allocate our resources?” said Michael Peale with BAPD. “Do I need to go out and do some security assessments on site? Do I need to do a reeducation of the staff as far as crime prevention or overnight lodging?”

Building Stronger Partnerships with Hotel Staff

A major part of the initiative’s success, police say, comes from cooperation. Officers surveyed hotel employees to understand what safety measures were already in place, then developed training tailored to each location’s needs. That has helped staff recognize red flags and know how to respond.

“We’re teaching them what red flags to look for and how to address that,” said Peale. “They’re learning that, hey, the officers are here to help us. It’s not adversarial, and the cooperation has really grown from the hoteliers.”

Looking Ahead: A Safer Stay for Everyone

With the drop in calls already being seen, Broken Arrow Police hope the Safe Hotels Initiative will continue to gain traction. Officers say the more hotels engage with the program, the safer the city’s lodging environments will be for guests, staff and the surrounding community.

City leaders say the initiative shows how proactive safety planning can lead to real, measurable change — and they hope other communities will take notice.