OKC police chief on Bricktown curfew
Chief Gourley addresses new curfew after stabbing
Updated: 10:46 AM CST Mar 7, 2023
KOCO, WE SIT DOWN WITH OUR CITY LEADERS TO GET A CHECK ON WHERE THINGS STAND FROM A NEW CURFEW IN BRICKTOWN TO HOW STATE QUESTION 820 COULD IMPACT OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. WE’VE A LOT TO COVER TODAY WITH OKLAHOMA CITY POLICE CHIEF WADE GOURLEY. CHIEF GOURLEY, WELCOME IN. THANK YOU. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE YOU EVERY MONTH HERE. SO I WANT TO START WITH SOMETHING NEW THAT HAS RECENTLY COME OUT, THE NEW CURFEW IN BRICKTOWN. SO IT’S NOW 9 P.M., RIGHT? FOR ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 18, BARRING IF YOU WORK IN THE AREA OR IF YOU’RE ATTENDING AN EVENT. SO A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS HERE FIRST. WHY DO YOU THINK A CURFEW LIKE THIS WILL HELP OR REDUCE SOME OF THE INCREASED CRIME WE’VE SEEN IN THAT AREA? SO REALLY WITH BRICKTOWN, WHAT WE’VE BEEN DOING IS LOOKING AT A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF HOW WE CAN ADDRESS THE CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON THERE AND MAKING IT, YOU KNOW, JUST SAFE FOR EVERYONE AND IS STILL A VERY SAFE PLACE TO BE. RELATIVELY SPEAKING, THE CRIME RATES IN BRICKTOWN ARE MUCH LESS THAN THAN SOME OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY. AND SO PLUS, WE HAVE A LARGE POLICE PRESENCE THERE. SO THE CURFEW WAS JUST ONE PIECE OF THAT. THERE’S SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE’RE WORKING ON, TOO. AND THE REASON THAT SUCH AN IMPORTANT PIECE IS IF THE OFFICERS ARE DEALING WITH JUVENILE ISSUES UP UNTIL 11:00 AT NIGHT, THAT’S ABOUT THE TIME THAT THE BARS GET CROWDED. AND SO THEY CAN’T FOCUS ON AS MUCH OF THAT AS WELL. SO IF THEY CAN GET THE JUVENILE ISSUES DEALT WITH, GET THOSE KIDS THAT, YOU KNOW, AREN’T REALLY DOING ANYTHING BUT JUST DOWN THERE TO CAUSE ISSUES AND NOT HAVE TO GO RESPOND TO CALLS DEALING WITH THOSE JUVENILES TO IN IN THOSE AREAS WHERE THEY CONGREGATE. IF WE CAN GET THAT HANDLED BY 9:00, THAT ALLOWS THE OFFICERS TO FOCUS ON MORE IMPORTANT THINGS AND MAKE SURE SAFETY IS THEIR PRIMARY GOAL. AND I’M SURE A LOT OF PEOPLE’S MINDS WENT TO, YOU KNOW, THE STABBING PEOPLE STAB THAT WE SAW TWO WEEKENDS AGO. IN THAT CASE, THOUGH, THE SUSPECT AND EVERYONE INVOLVED WAS OVER THE AGE OF 18, AND IT HAPPENED AFTER NINE. SO IN A CASE LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CURFEW WOULDN’T APPLY IN THAT SITUATION. SO YOU MENTIONED SOME OTHER THINGS BEING DONE BESIDES THE CURFEW. WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE THINGS TO PREVENT YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE WE SAW TWO WEEKS AGO FROM HAPPENING? SO, AGAIN, ALLOWING THOSE OFFICERS TO NOT BE FOCUSING ON THE JUVENILE ISSUES AND START FOCUSING ON THE ISSUES WHERE THOSE PROBLEMS ARE MORE LIKELY TO KICK OFF. AND WE ALL KNOW IF YOU MIX ALCOHOL LARGE CROWDS, YOU’RE GOING TO YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE ISSUES. A LOT OF THE TIMES. AND SO THOSE OFFICERS, EVEN THOUGH THEY WEREN’T ABLE TO PREVENT THAT STABBING, THEY WERE RIGHT THERE WHEN THAT HAPPENED. IN MY OPINION, BASED ON THE REPORTS AND THINGS THAT I’VE READ, I BELIEVE THOSE OFFICERS SAVED LIVES BECAUSE AS THOSE PEOPLE WERE COMING OUT OF THE CLUBS, THE OFFICERS WERE RIGHT THERE ABLE TO ADMINISTER FIRST AID. THEY APPLIED TURN TICKETS AND OTHER MEDICAL CARE THAT WE HAVE AND WE WERE ABLE TO APPREHEND THE SUSPECT FAIRLY QUICKLY JUST BY AN INVESTIGATION, YOU KNOW, ABLE TO TAKE PLACE AND DETAINING THOSE WITNESSES AND CONTROLLING THAT SCENE. AND THAT’S THAT’S WHAT WE WANT. WE WANT TO PREVENT THOSE. BUT IF SOMETHING DOES HAPPEN, WE WANT TO BE ON TOP OF IT VERY QUICKLY. AND AS WITH THAT, TOO, WE SAW WHERE EVEN THOUGH THOSE FOLKS WERE OVER 18, THEY WERE UNDER AGE TO BE IN THE BAR, WHICH ULTIMATELY RESULTED IN THAT BAR BEING SHUT DOWN. YOU MENTIONED, THOUGH, THAT CRIME IN BRICKTOWN IS IS STILL LESS THAN THAN OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY. SO WHY DO YOU THINK THERE IS THIS INCREASE VISIBILITY, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY ON SOME OF THE MORE HIGH PROFILE CRIMES THAT WE’RE SEEING IN THAT AREA IN PARTICULAR, EVEN THOUGH IT’S YOU’RE SAYING RELATIVELY LESS THAN OTHER PARTS? YES, WE WE’VE MET WITH OTHER CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY, YOU KNOW, LARGE CITIES THAT HAVE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS. THEY’RE ALL DEALING WITH THE SAME THINGS. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE ON TOP OF WHAT WE WERE DOING AND FOLLOWING THE BEST PRACTICES AND BEING CREATIVE AND HOW WE ENFORCE THE LAWS WITHIN AN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT. AND I THINK WHAT YOU FIND, ESPECIALLY AS YOU TALK TO THESE OTHER CITIES AND WITH US AS WELL, IS THAT’S A LARGE PORT, LARGE PORTION OF YOUR YOUR BUSINESS BASE, YOUR TOURISM BASE. AND SO WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS IN AN AREA LIKE THAT, IT GETS A LOT MORE ATTENTION JUST BY THE NATURE OF THE LOCATION AND THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE PAYCOM CENTER NEARBY, YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ATTEND EVENTS, TEN EVENT EVENTS DOWNTOWN THAT GO TO BRICKTOWN BEFORE AND AFTER. AND SO IT’S A IT’S A LARGE BUSINESS PRESENCE AND WE HAVE A LARGE POLICE PRESENCE THERE ON THE WEEKENDS, ESPECIALLY TO MAKE SURE TO KEEP EVERYBODY SAFE. LET’S SWITCH GEARS HERE. STATE. QUESTION 820 THE VOTE IS OFFICIALLY TODAY. NOW, I KNOW IN THE PAST YOU HAVE COME OUT AND BEEN AGAINST THIS KIND OF OPPOSE THE LEGALIZATION OF RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA. IS THAT STILL YOUR POSITION TODAY? AND EXPLAIN WHY FOR OUR VIEWERS WHO MAY HAVE NEVER HEARD THAT FROM YOU BEFORE. SO I’M ON THE BOARD WITH THE OKLAHOMA ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE AND WE’VE COME TOGETHER AS A GROUP TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST 820, BUT IT’S BASED OFF WHAT WE’VE SEEN IN OTHER STATES THAT HAVE DONE THIS. AND I FIND IT IRONIC, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT THESE OTHER STATES HAVE PASSED RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA AND EVERYTHING’S GREAT AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU KNOW, THINK OF SOME CITIES, I MEAN, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, PORTLAND, OREGON, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, YOU KNOW, PLACES LIKE THAT THAT HAVE LEGALIZED MARIJUANA, IT DOES NOTHING TO HELP WITH CRIME. IF ANYTHING, WHEN YOU WHEN YOU LEGALIZE A SUBSTANCE LIKE MARIJUANA, LOOK AT OPIOIDS, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN YOU CAN GET OPIOIDS FOR PAIN AND MEDICATION FROM YOUR DOCTOR. BUT THERE’S A LARGE ILLEGAL TRADE OUT THERE THAT’S RESULTING IN OVERDOSES AND OTHER THINGS. AND IT AFFECTS MENTAL HEALTH. JUST ALL OF THESE CITIES THAT WE’VE LOOKED AT THAT HAVE MARIJUANA THAT ARE MAJOR CITIES, WE TALK TO THEM, WE REACH OUT TO THEM AND SEE WHAT THEIR LAW ENFORCEMENT ARE DEALING WITH. I MEAN, NONE OF THEM SAY ANYTHING POSITIVE ALSO TO THE FACT THA, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE COMMENTS I’VE HEARD IS THAT IT’LL HELP US FOCUS ON MORE SERIOUS CRIME. WE HAVEN’T BEEN FOCUSING ON POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA FOR YEARS. I MEAN, SINCE 780 AND 781 PAST, PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO PRISON FOR MINOR MARIJUANA POSSESSION. SO THAT’S JUST NOT TRUE. WHAT IS AFFECTING OUR STATE IS THE ILLEGAL DRUG TRADE, AS WE’VE SEEN WITH PEOPLE COMING IN FROM OUT OF STATE, FROM OUT OF THE COUNTRY. WE SEE A LOT OF MARIJUANA THAT’S BEING GROWN HERE BECAUSE THERE IS NOT ENOUGH DEMAND IN OKLAHOMA FOR WHAT WE HAVE THAT THAT MARIJUANA IS GOING OUT OF STATE. AND SO YOU HAVE AN ILLEGAL TRADE THAT’S MOVING ACROSS OUR INTERSTATES. THAT’S THAT’S MOVING A LOT OF THAT MARIJUANA IN CASH OUT OF THE STATE. SO IF IT DOES PASS TODAY, THOUGH, WHAT WILL YOUR NEXT STEPS AS A DEPARTMENT BE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT TRANSITION IS STREAMLINED? SO I’VE REACHED OUT TO MY STAFF AND WE DO THIS EVERY YEAR WITH WHEN OUR LEGISLATURE IS IN SESSION. WE LOOK AT THE LAWS THAT ARE BEING PASSED AND WE’RE ALWAYS FOLLOWING THOSE AND PREPARED TO INITIATE WHATEVER CHANGES WILL COME OF THAT. WE’VE WE’VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE STATE QUESTION, THE VERBIAGE THAT’S IN THERE. I DON’T KNOW IF IT DOES PASS, IF THE LEGISLATURE WILL MAKE SOME TWEAKS TO IT. SOMETIMES THEY DO THAT. I DON’T KNOW HOW THAT’S GOING TO WORK, BUT I BELIEVE WE HAVE THREE MONTHS FROM THE TIME IT PASSES UNTIL IT ACTUALLY TAKES EFFECT. SO WE’LL SPEND THAT TIME. I. UPDATING OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND LOOKING AT ENFORCEMENT AND AND HOW WE DO THAT AND HOW WE MAKE THOSE CHANGES. SO WE’LL BE READY TO GO IF IT DOES PASS. OKAY. OKLAHOMA CITY POLICE CHIEF GURLEY, THANKS SO MUCH FOR COMING ON TODAY. AN
OKC police chief on Bricktown curfew
Chief Gourley addresses new curfew after stabbing
Updated: 10:46 AM CST Mar 7, 2023
Oklahoma City Police Chief Wade Gourley talks concerning the just lately handed curfew for Bricktown, in addition to State Question 820.Click the video participant above to look at the total interview.
Oklahoma City Police Chief Wade Gourley talks concerning the just lately handed curfew for Bricktown, in addition to State Question 820.
Click the video participant above to look at the total interview.
post credit to Source link