Tulsa mayor setting up office to monitor police force

TULSA, Okla. (AP) – Tulsa’s mayor says creating an independent office to monitor police will help build trust in law enforcement.
Mayor G.T. Bynum announced Wednesday that the Office of the Independent Monitor will follow up on citizen complaints, review use-of-force incidents and work on outreach and policy. Bynum says the new office will make recommendations, not impose discipline.
The city police union says in a statement that officers welcome fair investigations of their actions but that they should be subject to the same scrutiny as other licensed professionals.
A recent Gallup survey the city commissioned says only 36 percent of black residents believe police have a positive impact.
Relations have been strained since the 2016 killing of an unarmed black man. Then-Tulsa officer Betty Shelby was acquitted in the death of Terence Crutcher.