The Oklahoma Open Records Act gives you the right to access government records. All government information is presumed to be available to the public, with certain exceptions. In accordance with Open Records Act 51 O.S. §§ 24A.1 et seq. governmental bodies within the state of Oklahoma shall release requested information as promptly as possible, unless the information is exempt from disclosure.
An Oklahoma Open Records Act request concerning any criminal case where records are part of the standard discovery process will be denied as not requested for a public purpose. The Oklahoma Discovery Code, 22 O.S §2001-2002 shall govern the procedure for discovery in all criminal cases in all courts of this state.
Crime victims are entitled to one free copy of their incident report. Additional report copies are subject to established fees. The victim must appear in person and provide an acceptable form of identity verification.
THESE ARE THE METHODS FOR MAKING AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST.
- Written: The Open Records Act does not require requests to be written, however it is preferred that all requests be submitted in writing and mailed to the TCSO Public Information Officer, 303 West 1st Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103.
- Email: Members of the public and media may submit their requests via email to the TCSO Public Information Officer at pio@tcso.org.
Only through U.S. mail or email will be allowed; hand delivering the request is not an option.
The request should describe the record(s) requested, state if the request is for business or personal use, indicate the name of the person making the request, and include a mailing address and telephone number for the requestor.
Requesting Body Cam Footage
In order to request body camera footage, the requestor MUST FILL OUT THE REQUIRED OPEN RECORD REQUEST FORM PROVIDED IN THE OPEN RECORDS SECTION OF THIS WEBSITE. All necessary contact information, such as the requestor’s name, mailing address, phone number and email address must be provided, as well as a detailed description of the incident, including names, and the date the incident occurred.
*VAGUE REQUESTS, WHICH LACK ENOUGH DETAIL TO LOCATE AN INCIDENT/VIDEO, OR THOSE SUBMITTED ANONYMOUSLY WILL NOT BE PROCESSED.
Criminal cases where records are part of the standard discovery for the subject case cannot be obtained through the Open Records Act and should be obtained through the criminal discovery process. Such requests will be denied as not requested for a public purpose.
The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office will redact the recordings of each body camera video released under the Oklahoma Open records Act to meet the statutory requirements of 51 OS § 24.
To redact video, we must first watch and listen to all requested videos. (It will cost less, for instance, if only the body camera video from a specific officer is requested, instead of the videos for each responding deputy).
Any video research or redaction which causes an excessive disruption to the operations of the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office will result in a charge of $30 per hour, $7.50 per ¼ hour of work. Half of the cost of processing must be paid prior to beginning the redaction process. Requestors must pay at least 50 percent of the processing cost within 60 days of being invoiced, or the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office will consider the request as withdrawn
To download open records request form: Click Here
Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office Social Media Policy
TCSO Social Media Policy; Posted Comments will be monitored and the Sheriff’s Office reserves the right to remove obscenities, off-topic comments and personal attacks.
Copy Rates
Unless a request for Open Records is exempt from fees, as defined in Open Records Act 51 O.S. § 24 A.5, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office will utilize the fee schedule set by the Tulsa County Clerk’s Office to determine the charges for copies of public records.
DOCUMENT COPIES
- Paper (single-sided, black and white, 8½ x 14 or smaller) – $0.25 per page
- Certified Copy (single-sided, black and white, 8½ x 14 or smaller) – $1.00 each
- DVD – $1.00 each
- Audio cassette – $1.00 each
- Other Digital Media – the cost of the product
LABOR CHARGES
(charged in 15 minute increments)
- Personnel time for locating, compiling and reproducing records – $20.00 per hour ($5.00 per quarter hour)
- Technology Services – $32.00 per hour ($8.00 per quarter hour)
Mailing Address for Requests
Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office
Public Information Officer
6080 E. 66th Street North
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74117