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Tulsa Police officer Timothy O’Keefe takes his dedication to public safety to an even higher level.
When Timothy O’Keefe was a week from getting his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University, he became one of 200 Big 10 university students the Tulsa Police Department recruited to come to Tulsa.
Originally from New England, in 1979, O’Keefe moved to South Bend, Ind., and missed his graduation to move to Tulsa for its police academy.
That was 27 years ago. Recently, Rotary Club of Tulsa named O’Keefe 2009 Officer of the Year, primarily for his extensive work with the Kendall-Whittier neighborhood.
O’Keefe also was named the Elks Club’s Officer of the Year in 1992 and has won department awards, including the Purple Heart 10 years ago after he “kicked in a door and was mauled by the pit bull on the other side,” he says.
Here, O’Keefe discusses his dedication to the Kendall-Whittier neighborhood and making it a safer, and more fun, place for residents.
"One of my favorite parts of this job is being a part of the Kendall-Whittier task force for the last five years. The Kendall-Whittier neighborhood covers two square miles and includes approximately 15,000 people."
"The greatest accomplishment was getting Kaiser Foundation money, a half-million dollars over three years. It allowed us to make the neighborhood look better. The foundation funded a neighborhood inspector who helps with code enforcement by writing citations for chronic violators and sending letters encouraging code compliance. We (Neighborhood Inspections, a City of Tulsa entity) go after property owners or landlords for high grass, parking in the yards, trash in the yards, etc.
"It’s a beautification project that involves going yard to yard, noting what needs fixing, then helping people fix it. We find abandoned refrigerators and cars, broken fences, front doors left open and other safety hazards.
"The result is pride in the neighborhood, and positive things going on. There are more people involved, more people outside. Criminals like to do business when no one’s around. Between 2007 and 2008, crime in the neighborhood went down 22 percent. I hope that number continues to drop."
"I like doing this kind of work — slower pace and softer approach. We have gotten away from the beat-officer concept, and this gives us a chance to get to know the people. What I do is really more community relations than anything else."
"The Kendall-Whittier Neighbors for Action has a small core group of 15, but we’d like more. One goal is to get the Spanish (speaking) community more involved. We want them to know we (TPD) are not the enemy.
At Christmas, with “Lights On” in Whittier Square, we have songs, food and games for about 500 kids before turning on the Christmas lights."
“Operation Clean Sweep” is a community effort to clean sidewalks and alleyways in the neighborhood and to paint house numbers on the curb so (the) fire (department) and EMSA can find the house in an emergency."
"On Thursday afternoons, I coach a running club for about 18 kids. I was a runner in high school and college. I always wanted to be a history teacher, but I had an uncle who was a police officer in Boston, and went that route."
"What’s surprised me most about receiving this Officer of the Year award was the number of people (15) who wrote letters of support."
"Kendall-Whittier is the only neighborhood-specific program of its kind in town. With fewer cops on the street, the more neighborhoods that can take care of themselves, the better."
Editor’s note: The Kendall-Whittier task force has delegated a subcommittee, the Beautification Committee, to oversee some of the neighborhood’s ongoing projects.
The Rotary Club of Tulsa’s “Above and Beyond Service Awards” also recognized the Fire Company of the Year, Engine 24A Platoon, stationed at 36th Street North and Peoria Avenue. The group of firefighters, EMTs and paramedics responded to 1,287 incidents in 2008 and excelled in volunteer work, including mentoring at Hawthorne Elementary School. Learn more about both winners at www.tulsarotaryweb.com.
