The debate at the mayor’s office causes police discussion, spat on political mail

Tulsa’s mayoral candidates took to the debate stage Tuesday night for the last time before the election.

County Commissioner Karen Keith or state Rep. Monroe Nichols, both Democrats, will win the mayor’s seat on Nov. 5.

In the debate, the candidates were asked what their goals would be in their first four-year term.

Keith said his goals are:

• Open a low-barrier homeless shelter within the first six months in office
• Work with Tulsa Police to address panhandling
• Work with developers to build homes
• Full staff of the Tulsa Police Department
• Create an incentive program for teachers to work in Tulsa

Nichols said his goals are:

• Build 6,000 affordable homes
• Reduce the plague by 60%
• Reach “zero functional homelessness” in two years
• Move toward becoming America’s safest big city
• Create the office of children and families for the city

Police inequalities

For the first time this election cycle, racial disparities in Tulsa policing were brought up on the debate stage.

According to the city’s equality indicators, Tulsa police stop black youth and adults at more than twice the rate of white youth and adults in 2023. They also used force on blacks seven times more than whites .

When asked if and how he would close those disparities, Keith said he would use his relationship with Tulsa Police Chief Dennis Larsen. He also mentioned his endorsement of the Tulsa Fraternal Order of Police.

“I would work hand in hand with them to make sure these discrepancies are resolved,” he said.

Keith added that he would like to do a “deeper dive” into the force’s use of statistics and said the police “clearly need to make some adjustments”.

Nichols said officers need to build trust with Tulsans.

“We really need to get back to community policing. We need to not only hire more officers, but make sure those officers are truly part of the community,” he said.

Nichols also suggested giving things for young people to do in their neighborhoods “so they’re not just hanging out.”

The debate over the juvenile detention center continues

The Tulsa County Family Center for Juvenile Justice was once again at the center of Tuesday night’s mayoral debate.

Tulsa County commissioners, including Keith, are accused in a federal lawsuit of failing to protect incarcerated youths from abuse by guards at the facility. Two guards have been accused of sexually abusing youths at the center and Homeland Security searched the center in July.

Commissioners have maintained they were not responsible for the abuses because the center was overseen by the county’s juvenile court until they took over in July, even though they were aware of state violations at the center as far back as May 2022.

The lawsuit was highlighted in an email that Keith showed to the public. Keith accused Nichols of promoting the rhetoric used in the mail.

Nichols said he saw the mail before the debate for the first time.

“There was a federal lawsuit that named the county commissioners. Don’t make it like I made it up, because I didn’t, and I didn’t send that mail,” Nichols said.

Keith clarified that Nichols’ social media team filed the lawsuit on social media.

“It doesn’t mean you kicked out that particular piece, but the narrative,” he said.

Keith said he found out about the sexual abuse at the center when the general public did this spring.

“If you own a rental house and your tenant goes out to rob a bank, are you liable?” Keith said. “The judges were running this.”

The mayoral elections will take place on November 5. Check your polling place now on the state board of elections website.