Domestic violence related 911 calls in Tulsa have dropped significantly over the past several years, falling from 23,441 in 2016 to 15,649 last year.
Family Safety Center CEO Suzann Stewart shared the figures during Wednesday's meeting of the Tulsa City Council's Urban and Economic Development Committee.
She said while the decline may signal improved access to support services, it also raises concerns about possible barriers to reporting.
“I do know that there is some fear on behalf of a segment of our Tulsa community, that engaging with law enforcement and/or the courts can be somewhat challenging,” Stewart said after the meeting.
While Stewart noted there has not been a noticeable decline in the number of immigrant callers seeking help for domestic violence, she acknowledged that the broader political climate may make it harder for some individuals to report abuse or seek assistance.
Since the beginning of President Donald Trump's second term in office Immigration and Customs Enforcement is averaging more than 600 immigration arrests each day.
According to most recent state data, 115 people are killed each year in domestic violence related incidents.
Earlier this year, Tulsa County showed the highest number of domestic violence reports in the state.
Legal resources needed
One persistent area of need for the Family Safety Center is legal services.
“At the Family Safety Center, we’ll have in the area of 3,800 to 4,000 requests for help,” Stewart said.
Currently, Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma and Domestic Violence Intervention Services assist the center with legal aid. But Stewart said the center needs to expand its legal team from three attorneys to at least seven to meet demand.
New building coming soon
The family safety center plans to move to a new location soon, so there should be plenty of office space for more lawyers by next year.
The current location is on the main floor of the Police Courts Building and is roughly 15,000-square-feet. The new renamed Case Family Safety Center will be 65,000-square-feet and located at 2829 S. Sheridan Road.
The new location is expected to open in February.
