July 2025 Newsletter
- Ryan Love
- Jul 31
- 4 min read
Welcome to the Tulsa Police Department's monthly newsletter! We've had a hot July but we're powering through the heat and looking forward to a safe and engaging month of August!
Baristas and Badges
We had a great time out this month at our Baristas and Badges/Tip-A-Cop event at area Starbucks locations!
Officers got the chance to talk with citizens, enjoy some coffee, and even throw on an apron and work as baristas! All of the tips received benefitted Special Olympics Oklahoma, raising $1,600 among the three locations.
Celebrating the 4th of July
Early this month, we got the chance to take part in a couple of neighborhood parades in Tulsa to help celebrate Independence Day!
Officers from the Riverside Division took part in a parade near 47th and S. Florence, and Officers from the Mingo Valley Division took part in a parade in Briarwood Park near 37th and Mingo!
OK-TF1, IMT disaster relief efforts
After several weeks of dedicated service in Texas, members of the Tulsa area Oklahoma Task Force 1 (OK-TF1) returned home to Tulsa.
The team, including Tulsa Police Officer Mendenhall and her K-9 partner Talulah, or "T", deployed to Texas on the second week of July to assist with disaster relief efforts following severe flooding in the state.
Three Tulsa Police Officers, as part of the Incident Management Team (IMT), also deployed to New Mexico to assist with flood response efforts. Officers assisted at an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) before moving down to Ruidoso to continue those efforts.
National Real-Time Crime Center Recognition Week
This month marked the first-ever Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) Recognition Week, and we wanted to take a moment to showcase the Tulsa Police Real Time Information Center (RTIC).
Led by the National Real-Time Crime Center Association, the week celebrates and honors the dedication, innovation, and teamwork that have made RTCCs a vital resource in enhancing public safety across the nation.
Tulsa Police Cadet program now recruiting
The Tulsa Police Cadet program, formerly known as the Tulsa Police Explorers, is now recruiting new members!
Check out the video below to learn more and email TulsaPoliceCadets@cityoftulsa.org for more information.
Gilcrease Division
We finished off July at the Gilcrease Division with a family day at Archer Park, hosted by one of our community partners, Growing Together. Officers were invited to engage with families, build connections, and help leave the kids with a positive impression of law enforcement.
They showed off a patrol vehicle, handed out stickers and dog tags, and posed for a lot of photos. The Officers – and their Major – also took on Firefighters in a police vs. fire soccer match!
Now that summer break is coming to a close, we’re looking ahead to August. We’ve got a very busy month with numerous back-to-school events happening across all divisions. We look forward to seeing many of you over the coming weeks, helping us make sure Tulsa kids have a great kickoff to the school year!
Mingo Valley Division
We kicked off the month with the Briarwood Park Fourth of July Parade! One of our patrol vehicles proudly led the parade route as neighborhood kids followed close behind, showing off their star-spangled bikes, scooters, and big energy. It’s a highlight for us every year, and we love being part of the celebration. Next up, The Superhero Camp at The Little Gym! We had a blast meeting the campers, talking about our gear, and showing them that heroes come in all forms (capes optional, badges included).
From there, we made our rounds to several other summer camps, sharing summer safety tips and soaking up the sunshine with Tulsa’s youngest citizens. Mid-month, we teamed up with our friends at Scheels for their very first SummerFest! The Saracen and SOT equipment were on full display to everyone to get a up close look at! Keeping the summer vibes rolling with Heroes and Hotdogs at Target on 71st & Hwy 169, Target employees fired up the grill, pulled out the sidewalk chalk, and gave a chance to for everyone to leave a winner thanks to carnival games, TPD goodies, and lots of lemonade!
We’re now kicking off the Back-to-School Bash season and getting ready for National Night Out, August 5. We can’t wait to continue connecting with our community as the summer heat dies down and school gears up.
Riverside Division
This month, the Riverside Division concluded its participation in a six-week kids summer camp, hosted by the Dream Center West. Patrol Officers were assisted by the K-9 Unit, Air Support, PSC, and the Academy in covering all six weeks, providing a variety of activities for more than two dozen kids, like a K-9 demo, a tour of the new heliport, and learning about police recruitment and the job of a Dispatcher. This was definitely a group effort that would not have been possible without such excellent cooperation and communication across multiple units.
August is shaping up to be a busy month. We look forward to working closely with our Officers as we attend multiple back-to-school events over the coming weeks!
SPIDER UNIT: Electronic Detection K-9 Ripley
We'd like to give a special introduction to our newest K-9, Ripley!
K-9 Ripley is an Electronic Detection K-9 who works with the Tulsa Police Sexual Predator Investigations/Digital Evidence Recovery Unit (SPIDER).
Trained by the Secret Service, K-9 Ripley specializes in electronic storage detection. She is trained to scent out chemicals used in the manufacturing of electronic storage devices.
What's the mean? K-9 Ripley can sniff out the smallest devices, from USB drives to micro SD cards!
Here's a video with Det. Williams explaining the important work Ripley does for the department:
