With 'eyes of the world' on Tulsa, police chief discusses plans to keep everyone safe

He knows this: There will be a lot, and there will be significant security measures in place to try to protect them all.

“I’m the chief of police for the Tulsa Police Department, and I protect every citizen,” Franklin said when asked during a Wednesday news conference about people who may be coming to Tulsa to protest President Donald Trump’s visit. “I don’t care what color you look like, I don’t care your political affiliation, sexual preference. I don’t care. We’re going to protect all of the people that come to our city and do that in a professional way.”

The Tulsa Police Department will have help from various agencies. Those include the Secret Service, FBI, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, potentially 250 National Guard troops, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies in the area.

Franklin said he didn’t have a total number of law enforcement officers that will be present but said the city will “ramp up” security for the president’s rally, which is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Saturday at the BOK Center in downtown Tulsa.

“Our goal is to keep people safe. That’s what we do. That’s the ultimate goal,” Franklin said during the media gathering at police headquarters in downtown Tulsa. “And that is to ensure the president and the dignitaries visiting our city arrive safely, make it to their event safely and make it back to their destination back home safely. That is what we do.

“In the middle of that, we also want to allow people to peacefully protest — for people to have their expressions heard. We are going to ensure that those individuals have those rights. That’s our constitutional right to do so. We want to make sure that is done in a peaceful manner.”

Franklin said security will involve road closures downtown, including around the BOK Center. He said details will be released later in the week, but he warned that people who plan to drive downtown should expect delays. Some streets will be closed intermittently and others might be closed for the day, he said.

Franklin said people who plan to attend the rally should expect a walk of several blocks from parking to the arena. He also urged people to plan for heat.

“We’re going to maintain order throughout this, and we’re also going to provide health and life-saving measures that could occur,” Franklin said. “Because let’s keep in mind, that it’s going to be 90 degrees Saturday, and you’re on concrete and lots of buildings around. So the surface temperatures will be increased. So people need to hydrate and be prepared for hours and hours inside of a concrete jungle, if you will.”

Franklin said the National Guard would be used as a “force multiplier to help assist us in ramping up our numbers and securing a safety area for our city and our citizens.”

Guard troops were present at recent protests in Tulsa and their role will remain the same, said Oklahoma National Guard Lt. Col. Geoff Legler.

“We’re going to have a force there to back up the local law enforcement,” he said.

An estimated 250 Guard soldiers will be assembled at a Tulsa facility and ready to assist as needed and will be “deployed to an appropriate level” if they are needed, Legler said. Should local law enforcement deem it necessary to request assistance, then they will have to make the request to Oklahoma Highway Patrol, which will in turn make the request to the Guard.

The majority of the deployed soldiers live and work in the Tulsa metro area, Legler said.

“These folks are there to come to the aid of their friends and neighbors and not to quash non-violent protest,” Legler said. “The National Guard fully supports nonviolent protests.”

Legler stressed Wednesday that the Guard does not use or possess tear gas, referencing confrontations between police, the Guard and protesters in south Tulsa about two weeks ago.

Franklin said he knows the “eyes of the world” are on Tulsa. He said planning for security will continue through Friday and possibly into Saturday just before the event starts.

“Let’s have a safe and hopefully uneventful weekend,” he said.

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