By Fox23.com News Staff
SAND SPRINGS, Okla. — The Tulsa Boys’ Home held a press conference to address the facility’s security following an incident where law enforcement said a Tulsa Boys’ Home resident led authorities on a car chase.
According to the Tulsa Boys’ Home, one of their juvenile residents was able to access a staff member’s personal keys and left the facility’s campus in the staff member’s car on Thursday evening.
Carl Hilliard, the Executive Director at the Tulsa Boys’ Home, said staff members immediately called law enforcement for assistance once they noticed the juvenile was missing.
Hilliard said the Tulsa Boys’ Home will be conducting a full internal review into the incident and stated appropriate consequences will be given once the investigation is complete.
“If there are any policies or procedures that have been broken or any inappropriate actions, we will be taking quick and swift actions toward those staff members,” Hilliard stated.
Hilliard said he also wants to assure the public that addressing safety for the residents of the Tulsa Boys’ Home and the community is important to him.
“My expectations of TBH and as the executive director is to ensure that our facility is a resemblance of a foster care home. In this situation, there’s going to be mistakes made by our young men, but I want to make sure that when we put a young man in a foster care home, that foster parent can feel safe that their keys will not be taken. Well, last night that did not happen and we will grow from this and we will learn from this.”
Even before Thursday’s incident occurred, Hilliard said the Tulsa Boys’ Home has been addressing security concerns through a board approved three-phase security initiative.
The first phase of the initiative involved the installation of a fence at the facility, which has already been completed.
Hilliard said the fence is to help keep students in, but is also there to keep residents safe by ensuring unapproved people aren’t able to enter the campus.
The facility will also be introducing a new Rapture security screening system for all visitors and will be building a new welcome center within the next 90 days.
Hilliard said the board has already approved other proposals that will raise wages and develop a new security department dedicated to protecting residents and enforcing security policies.
Hilliard emphasized that the Tulsa Boys’ Home is not a prison and said these new policies and procedures are aimed to answer safety questions for the public and for residents.
Hilliard encouraged the community to pray for the young man involved with Thursday evening’s chase and said the Tulsa Boys’ Home will continue to strive to improve its policies and security.
