Councilors present ordinance to create Office of Independent Review and 11‑member civilian oversight board for public safety

Sponsors introduced an ordinance to adopt a new Title 16 establishing an Office of Independent Review and Oversight of Public Safety and an 11-member civilian oversight board.

"When government investigates itself, there should be another set of eyes looking at whether the investigation is thorough, objective, and consistent with the rules," the presenter said, explaining the office's purpose. The ordinance would cover law enforcement, fire prevention and suppression, rescue, hazardous materials response, 911 emergency communications, emergency management, animal control, security, and code enforcement; it would not include judicial functions of municipal court or powers assigned by charter to independently elected officers.

Key provisions disclosed in the committee briefing:
- Structure: a full-time director leading a professional office plus an 11-member civilian oversight board with one resident from each of nine council districts and two at-large members; councilors recommend district members and the mayor nominates at-large members for council confirmation.
- Independence rules: staff in the office must demonstrate independence; current or former public-safety officers in the Tulsa metro area (and immediate family) would be disqualified from serving on the office staff; board members likewise face restrictions on service that would present conflicts.
- Triggers and scope: the ordinance lists incidents that automatically receive oversight, including firearm discharges or other deadly force, death in custody, a public-safety employee killed in the line of duty, force causing death or serious bodily injury, alleged conduct that could constitute a felony, and certain misdemeanors involving threatened or used force.
- Process timelines: when a covered internal investigation begins, the department would have three business days to provide basic information to the oversight office; once the office has materials, it generally has 10 business days to complete its review.

Sponsors emphasized the office would perform review and transparency functions rather than assume command over investigations: "Independent oversight does not mean competing investigations," a presenter said. The ordinance would require the board to hold at least 10 meetings per year with at least three that allow public comment and quarterly public meetings with public-safety leadership; annual public reports would summarize trends and aggregate information while preserving confidentiality.

Committee members questioned fiscal and staffing implications. A presenter recalled earlier budget conversations and said prior estimates had suggested a startup cost in the community's discussions of about $500,000 per year and that initial staffing could be modest (past iterations discussed a three-person office), though final staffing and budget levels would be refined as the proposal advances. The sponsors asked for further review and said they would return the ordinance to committee next week for additional consideration; no vote was taken in the committee briefing.