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Tulsa Police joins local agencies in Blue Envelope Program initiative

  • Writer: Ryan Love
    Ryan Love
  • 12 minutes ago
  • 2 min read

The Tulsa Police Department and local law enforcement leaders held a news conference on Wednesday to announce their participation in the Blue Envelope Program.


Tulsa Police Chief Dennis Larsen, Tulsa City Councilor Lori Decter Wright, Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado, and representatives from Bixby, Broken Arrow, Glenpool, Jenks, Owasso, Sand Springs, Skiatook, and Sapulpa all participated in introducing the initiative, which is meant to help make interactions between police and residents safer and calmer for those who experience communication challenges.


The Blue Envelope Program empowers people to note their communication needs or issues, hand an envelope to an Officer who may have stopped them, and allow that Officer to get a better picture of their situation and respond accordingly. The envelope explains the person's condition and affirms their intent to cooperate along with their driver's license, registration, and proof of insurance.


The program is beneficial for people who fall under any of the following categories:


  • Be deaf or hard of hearing.

  • Have difficulty speaking clearly.

  • Be learning English.

  • Live with autism, ADHD, or other neurodevelopmental conditions.

  • Experience anxiety, PTSD, or other mental health conditions.

  • Have dementia, cognitive or neurological impairments.

  • Experience involuntary movements, such as those associated with Tourette syndrome.

  • Be blind or have low vision.

  • Have medical-related speech difficulties.


The envelope also includes reminders for drivers who are being pulled over:


  • Stop in a safe location.

  • Stay in the car until told otherwise.

  • Keep your hands on the steering wheel.

  • Tell the officer you have a blue envelope and follow instructions.


To find more information about the program and to download/view the Blue Envelope Card, visit https://www.tulsapolice.org/blue-envelope


Blue Envelopes are also available at all three patrol divisions. For their locations, visit https://www.tulsapolice.org/divisions

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