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The Bartlesville Police Department says it stands with the Oklahoma Association of Chiefs of Police in regards to State Question 805.

The voters will be able to voice their opinion on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020. The Bartlesville Police Department said it would like to echo the OACP that the State question does not protect the individual citizen, but gives credit to people who commit those crimes to say that there are no consequences to recommitting multiple crimes.

Bartlesville Police Sergeant Daniel Elkins said the OACP is an entity like the Washington County District Attorney's Office that they stand with. Sgt. Elkins said this is just another opportunity that they want to seize so they can get out in the community and educate the voters before November 3rd comes around. He said they want to help the citizens of Bartlesville make informed decisions before they head to the polls.

If SQ 805 passes, Sgt. Elkins said there would be a large increase in non-violent crimes such as vehicle burglaries and larcenies as well as other crimes. He said SQ805 will only limit the District Attorney’s Office and their options for prosecution.

Sgt. Elkins said he understands the idea of people being judged solely by the crime that they are arrested for in any given incident. He said he thinks it might be a stance to combat systemic racism, but it doesn't make sense with how SQ805 is currently written and what some people might be going for with the measure.

Despite what many people think, Sgt. Elkins said it takes a miracle sometimes to get many crimes wrapped up to the point of prosecution and sentencing. Sgt. Elkins said the system is very much for the defendant. When they get to a point where prosecution is reasonable or appropriate to take place, Sgt. Elkins said the last thing they need is to have the hands of the District Attorney's Office tied more than they already are. He said they deal with the same people far too often.

Sgt. Elkins said the convictions in some of the cases today see the defendants getting turned over to the Mental Health Court or Drug Court where they are going to the Department of Corrections for a limited amount of time before being back out on the streets. He said they already see a revolving door where problems keep occurring.

Crime incubates crime is something Sgt. Elkins believes and holds onto. Sgt. Elkins said it's a problem when we can't let the District Attorney's Office handle repeat offenders in the way they see fit.

State Question 805 is nothing more than a smack on the wrist to Sgt. Elkins. In Sgt. Elkins' eyes, the risk versus reward aspect in crime will see a rise in reward and a reduction in risk if we limit our prosecutors. He said when we're more concerned with the rights of the defendants than the overall good of the citizens of Oklahoma, we could stumble upon problems in society, especially when looking at the implications of SQ805.

If passed, State Question 805 will be embedded in the Oklahoma State Constitution. Sgt. Elkins said this would make the problems in SQ805 difficult to resolve. He said criminal justice is fine, but the the current version of SQ805 and what it generally talks about has way too many bugs in it to pass as it stands right now.