Bartlesville Radio: The area’s best source for news, weather and sports!

Regent Bank and the Bartlesville Regional Chamber of Commerce fired up the grill and made hamburgers at the Bartlesville Police Station to show their appreciation for local law enforcement on Friday afternoon.

Trevor Dorsey, the Regent Bank President for Northeast Oklahoma (Bartlesville and Nowata), said they've seen some of the national attention law enforcement has gotten this year. He said some of that attention has been negative, but they love their local law enforcement and all of the excellent work that they do for our community.

Dorsey said he knows the entire community is in support of our local law enforcement. He said our officers and deputies, and those that lead them, do an excellent job of enforcing the law and keeping everyone safe. Friday turned out to be a gorgeous day in Dorsey's eyes to show their appreciation for those that protect us daily.

Officers with the Bartlesville Police Department and members of the Washington County Sheriff's Office enjoyed a meal on behalf of Regent Bank and the Bartlesville Regional Chamber of Commerce. Dorsey said thanked those that came down to show their appreciation for our local law enforcement by having a conversation with them or by driving by and honking their horn.

Bartlesville Police Chief Tracy Roles said there is a narrative out there that a lot of people don't support law enforcement. He said he thinks that is a false narrative, because he believes the majority of people do support law enforcement and their mission. This is certainly the case in Bartlesville according to Chief Roles.

Chief Roles said that the nation cares about law enforcement and sees the need. That being said, Chief Roles said he understands that they're not perfect. He said they can continue to get better, adding that they need to evolve and stay up with the latest trends in law enforcement so they can best serve their communities.

When people are intentional with their support, Chief Roles said it is impactful. Chief Roles said the lunch that Regent Bank and the Bartlesville Regional Chamber of Commerce put on for local law enforcement on Friday was very impactful. He said it shows that they really and truly appreciate what the men and women in law enforcement do for the community daily.

The men and women of law enforcement allow all of us to rest easy beneath a blanket of protection knowing that we are safe with our families at home. Chief Roles reiterated that law enforcement does things that they wish they could do differently, or that they could do better, or that they could prevent before it even happens, but overall, law enforcement across the country gets it right most of the time.

To see people like Trevor Dorsey, Tyler Vaclaw, Sherri Wilt and others intentionally showing their support for local law enforcement meant a lot to Chief Roles and the Bartlesville Police Department. Chief Roles said he is thankful for them, for the officers that serve our community, and for the community itself. He said Bartlesville is the best community in the State of Oklahoma for a lot of reasons, including the community's desire to support law enforcement and work cooperatively with them.

The relationship between local law enforcement and the community is a partnership in Chief Roles' eyes. Chief Roles said law enforcement cannot be successful without help and cooperation from the community just as the community cannot be successful without the help from law enforcement. He said he is thankful for the partnership between the Bartlesville Police Department and the community. Having that partnership in Bartlesville is very refreshing to Chief Roles.

Lastly, Chief Roles wished Trevor Dorsey a Happy Birthday.