As QuikTrip works to mitigate growing concerns about safety and security, customers may see changes at Tulsa-area stores, including locked doors and new ways to deter loitering.
In addition to domed pavers that prevent comfortably sitting or lying down along the exterior walls in front of specific QuikTrip locations, side doors have been made inoperable at some stores. At least one QuikTrip manager was given the go-ahead to fully close down the store for two hours starting around 1:30 a.m.
“Nothing is off the table for us,” said Aisha Jefferson, QuikTrip corporate spokeswoman. “There’s no silver bullet or a single solution for us. We work hand in hand with our store teams, local law enforcement, and many others in the community to develop store-specific strategies.”
QuikTrip declined to publicly identify which stores are employing which security efforts so they can evaluate effectiveness while avoiding the potential for problems to shift to other locations.
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“We work on a store-by-store basis,” Jefferson said. “It’s not a side of town or a specific area; it’s by store, and we’ve worked with our store teams and our staffing in those markets to understand what goes on at each location. That’s how we strategize and make the best decisions to implement security measures at our locations.”
Spotlight on issues pervasive across Tulsa
A north Tulsa site that was ransacked over Memorial Day weekend drew some attention as one of the perpetrators shared a video from inside the QuikTrip. The incident involved no violence directed specifically at staff or customers but created the potential for a dangerous situation.
Some store managers have worked directly with Tulsa police on a plan to reduce the potential for similar situations to arise.
“As we do new things, it’s in coordination with law enforcement,” QuikTrip corporate spokesman Michael Junk said.
Calls to police from QuikTrip stores may not always involve explicitly criminal activity. Leaders are concerned about interactions with aggressive panhandlers, as Tulsans have shared a growing number of stories in which they felt their security was threatened while being approached by a stranger.
“These are issues that are everywhere, but we have more locations than anyone else in the city, so the issue is more recognizable,” Junk said.
Often other business owners and community leaders come to QuikTrip in gratitude for being more outspoken and responsive related to the increase in activity that threatens public safety and security, Junk said.
“They don’t have the voice to say the same things,” he said, adding that QuikTrip hopes public officials will take up the mantle and develop more meaningful partnerships to address these issues.
QuikTrip leaders say the security efforts are part of a program intended to reduce the number of calls for police service from its stores. Junk pointed out how unsafe it can be for QuikTrip staffers to interact with someone who is causing trouble, especially if that person is in a mental health crisis or is under the influence of dangerous controlled substances.
Complementing the new security features at specific stores, QuikTrip is using smart cameras to identify and alert people who may be loitering. The software tracks how long a person sits outside a store and, after a certain duration, automatically broadcasts a message asking the person to move along. This reduces the need for QuikTrip staff to engage in a potentially dangerous interaction and reduces calls for service from police.
‘A humanitarian way’ to address concerns
While making changes to ensure safety at QuikTrip stores, the company is also committed to supporting outreach efforts benefiting the Tulsa-area homeless population. Junk noted that calls for service from QuikTrip locations near riverside homeless encampments decreased in the weeks following community efforts to connect those individuals with helpful resources.
QuikTrip donated $7.8 million to the Tulsa Area United Way, the Tulsa Day Center, Green Country Habitat for Humanity, Youth Services of Tulsa and other partner organizations working to address the root causes of homelessness and mitigate the effects of poverty.
“In the last few years, cities across the country, including Tulsa, have experienced a rise in crime, addiction, mental health issues and homelessness,” QuikTrip spokeswoman Lauren Sherry said when the local donation was announced in December. “And like the rest of the retail community, our employees and customers … have been impacted by this trend.”
With QuikTrip’s nationwide philanthropic effort, the company wants to ensure that employees know what it is doing to keep them safe and supported, Sherry said.
One of the efforts funded through QuikTrip is the Tulsa Day Center Blue Teams program, which seeks to identify and assist homeless individuals who may have anosognosia, a mental illness that causes a person to be unable to recognize their psychiatric condition.
Since its start, the Blue Team program has housed four clients, placed nine in temporary emergency shelter rooms funded through QuikTrip, and is currently sheltering two clients at the Day Center.
Mack Haltom, CEO of the Tulsa Day Center, said the team focuses on narrowing system gaps to educate people about anosognosia.
“I think it’s very worthy of QuikTrip to recognize that need,” Haltom said. “I thought it was very worthy of them to find a humanitarian way of dealing with people experiencing homelessness besides impunity.”
As the program grows, the Tulsa Day Center plans to hire a case management employee to improve the Blue Team project. Haltom said the program will continue to build relationships in the mental health care system and focus on intervening and helping before someone becomes homeless.
As for QuikTrip customers who may encounter a panhandler or see a homeless person needing help, Haltom said he encourages them to call 911 if it’s an emergency. If it’s not, he said to talk to the store clerk or the manager so they can reach out to the Day Center’s outreach team if needed.
“There’s nothing wrong with saying no to a panhandler,” Haltom said. “You want to protect yourself and be careful. But I think responding with eye contact and a caring attitude goes a long way. Be aware of your surroundings and what’s going on.”
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