Tulsa Police Department Policy 31-136B
POLICY:
The gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, disability, political affiliation, religion, national
origin, economic status, cultural group or race of an individual shall not be the sole factor in
determining the existence of probable cause to take into custody or to arrest an individual or
in constituting a reasonable and articulable suspicion that an offense has been or is being
committed so as to justify the detention of an individual or the investigatory stop of a motor
vehicle.
There shall be no bias in the operations of the Tulsa Police Department. The Department is
committed to unbiased policing and will provide service and enforcement in a fair and
equitable manner. Investigative detentions, traffic stops, pedestrian stops, searches and seizures
of property, and asset seizure and forfeiture efforts will be based on a standard of reasonable
suspicion or probable cause as required by then-applicable state and federal law.
Officers must be able to articulate facts and circumstances which support probable cause or
reasonable suspicion for an investigative detention, traffic stop, arrest, non-consensual search
and seizure of property, and asset seizure and forfeiture efforts. Except as provided in this
policy, officers shall not consider gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, disability, political
affiliation, religion, national origin, economic status, cultural group or race in establishing
either reasonable suspicion or probable cause.
Officers may take into account, for the purposes of establishing either reasonable suspicion or
probable cause, the reported gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, disability, political
affiliation, religion, national origin, economic status, cultural group, or race of a specific
suspect based only on credible, reliable information that links a person or persons of a specific
gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, disability, political affiliation, religion, national
origin, economic status, cultural group or race to a particular criminal incident.
The Department will train personnel in bias-based policing issues including legal aspects and
will take corrective measures when bias-based policing occurs. The Office of Integrity and
Compliance (TOIC) will conduct an annual administrative review of agency practices to
include citizen concerns. The annual report prepared by TOIC will satisfy this requirement.
APPLIES TO: All police personnel
SUMMARY: To define and prohibit bias-based policing.
DEFINITIONS:
BIAS-BASED POLICING – the detention, interdiction, or other disparate treatment of an
individual solely on the basis of the gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, disability,
political affiliation, religion, national origin, economic status, cultural group, or race.
PROCEDURES: None
REGULATIONS:
1. No officer shall engage in bias-based policing. The gender, sexual orientation, age
ethnicity, disability, political affiliation, religion, national origin, economic status, cultural
group, or race of an individual shall not be the sole factor in determining the existence
of probable cause to take into custody or to arrest an individual.
2. An individual’s gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, disability, political affiliation,
religion, national origin, economic status, cultural group or race alone shall not constitute
a reasonable and articulable suspicion that an offense has been or is being committed so
as to justify the detention of an individual or the investigatory stop of a motor vehicle.
3. Officers will attempt to reduce perceptions, if any, of bias when detaining a citizen. When
consistent with the safety of an officer or others and when reasonable, officers will:
a. Be courteous, polite, and professional.
b. Introduce themselves before asking the citizen for identification, and explain to the
citizen the reason for the stop as soon as practical.
c. In accordance with statutory and common law, ensure that the length of detention is
no longer than necessary to take the appropriate action for the known or suspected
offense.
d. Answer any reasonable questions the citizen might have, to include explaining options
for the disposition of the traffic citation, if relevant.
e. Provide his/her name and badge number when requested, in writing or on a business
card.
f. Explain if it is determined that the reasonable suspicions were unfounded and, if
appropriate under the circumstances, offer an apology to the affected citizen.
4. Violations of this policy shall result in disciplinary action.
5. Supervisors shall ensure that all personnel in their command are familiar with the content
of this policy and are operating in compliance with it.
REFERENCES:
22 O.S. 34.3-34.5
Johnson, et al. v. City of Tulsa, No. 94-CV-39-H(M) Consent Decree, Section 16.1, 16.2
CALEA 1.2.9
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