TULSA, Okla. — Friends and family members gathered Friday morning to celebrate the newest members of the Tulsa Police Department.
Class 122, which includes 26 new officers, graduated at the TPD Training Facility. Chief Wendell Franklin said the department is down officers because of recent retirements and some younger officers deciding the career wasn’t right for them.
These new officers, Franklin said, are needed immediately.
This also comes at a time when people across the country are calling for changes in policing policies.
After graduation, the apprentice officers become officers-in-training. They will complete their training by working alongside veteran officers at the station.
Once they are ready, they will be assigned to either the Gilcrease, Mingo Valley, or Riverside divisions.