Local businessman is funding a major upgrade for the Tulsa Family Safety Center

TULSA, OK (KTUL) — The Family Safety Center here in Tulsa just received a $2.4 million donation from a local businessman.

This is for the construction of FSC’s new facility, which provides services for victims of domestic violence and others.

Suzann Stewart from the FSC says the reason for the new location is the high number of domestic violence and sexual assaults, saying their current facility is inadequate for them to handle the numbers.

The Family Safety Center provides services for survivors of domestic violence, family violence, sexual assault, stalking, elder abuse, and human trafficking.

“We have a variety of different services here on site so we can help victims and survivors with whatever needs and resources they may need to stay safe,” said Suzann Stewart, CEO of Family Safety Center, Tulsa .

Stewart says Oklahoma ranks second nationally in the number of domestic violence incidents.

According to Stewart, Tulsa leads the state in some of the number of domestic homicides and domestic violence.

“The Tulsa Police Department will receive, through 9-1-1, approximately 22,000 calls a year for domestic violence incidents, and of those, they will investigate maybe 12,000 to 13,000,” Stewart said.

Stewart says that of the number of domestic violence incidents that TPD investigates, they may get as many as 7,500 to go to the prosecutor’s office for potential prosecution.

She says those numbers are staggering compared to Tulsa’s population.

“It’s a matter of the number of people reporting, right? And we want people to report these incidents. We want them to come and seek help. So I’m not convinced there’s more domestic violence than I’m convinced. that the more we talk about the availability of services and resources that people can access for help when they’re in these situations, the more people will come forward and ask for help,” Stewart said.

FSC’s Suzann Stewart says that because of this significant donation, they will be renaming the new center the Case Family Safety Center – after donors Mike Case and his wife Pat.

Stewart says the earlier we start educating kids about healthy relationships, the better off we will be at preventing future incidents of domestic violence and incidents of family violence.

The Center for Family Safety’s list of free and confidential services can be found on their website website.