Crime Strategies Unit of Tulsa County

Crime Strategies Unit of Tulsa County

Project Abstract

Smart Prosecution – FY 2021 Competitive Grant Announcement

Grant Application – CFDA# 16.825

Submitted by: Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office – Tulsa County, Oklahoma

Proposed Initiative: In order to reduce the violent crime rate in Tulsa, which is 2.5 times the national average, the Tulsa County District Attorney seeks funding to create the first Crime Strategies Unit in Oklahoma. The CSU will identify crime trends, operationalize crime data, and develop a focused deterrence program aimed at reducing prosecutor caseloads and increasing resources available for violent crime prosecution. The focused deterrence program will target repeat offenders for personalized attention, including warning letters or offers of social services, with the aim of preventing them from committing crimes in the future. Repeat offenders and crime rings in Tulsa County have a disproportionate impact on crime rates, directly harming the public, depriving individuals and businesses of property, and overloading prosecutors with repeat offenses. By targeting repeat offenders, the CSU will sustainably declutter district court dockets and free more resources to prosecute violent crime.

Target Population: The 20% of offenders responsible for 50% of law enforcement referrals in Tulsa County. Repeat offenders, particularly those involved in crime rings.

Goal: The goal of this project is to reduce the violent crime rate in Tulsa by decreasing prosecutor caseloads and increasing resources available for violent crime prosecution through the implementation of a Crime Strategies Unit and associated innovative, data-driven prosecution practices.

Objectives:

Create a Crime Strategies Unit that implements evidence-based prosecution strategies, identifies crime trends and operationalizes crime data, and disseminates results to community and criminal justice stakeholders.
Develop a focused deterrence strategy within the Crime Strategies Unit that integrates new technology and evidence-based practices to target repeat offenders in Tulsa County.

Program Measurements and Performance Targets: Copies of reports; # of reports created; # of agencies receiving reports; # of community stakeholders involved; # and types of public relations events and communications; written CSU procedures; # of repeat offenders prosecuted; # of crime rings prosecuted; procedures for prioritizing prosecution targets; # of personalized warning letters mailed

Plan of Action/Activity: Strategic deployment of two prosecutors to develop a Crime Strategies Unit and adapt the national model for focused deterrence to Tulsa County. The CSU will gather and operationalize crime data, prioritize repeat offenders for prosecution, and communicate and coordinate with law enforcement and community partners on effective strategies.