Here are five takeaways from the Frontier’s reporting on the lack of a required police training on working hate crime cases.

Read the full story here.

1.  Oklahoma’s hate crime law doesn’t include protections for gender or sexual orientation. And while the federal statute covers more protected classes, it only applies in specific situations. 
2. Since 2018, hate crimes based on sexual orientation have been reported to the FBI more often than crimes based on gender or gender identity. From 2015 to 2019, about 24% of crimes included in a U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics self-reported survey were based on gender. But according to FBI data for that same time period, an average of about 2% of reported crimes nationwide were based on gender identity, and an average of about 0.6% were based on gender. 
3. The state can’t prosecute hate crime cases based on gender or sexual orientation, but local law enforcement still does much of the legwork of investigations, referring cases to federal prosecutors, and reporting incidents to the FBI. 
4. Oklahoma is one of 32 states without a requirement in statute that police complete training on investigating hate crimes and working with victims. Though some agencies reported offering hate crime-related training, the topics they covered were varied. 
5. The state Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training created training objectives that must be taught in every police academy across the state. But their civil rights standards don’t require officers to be taught about the federal statute that covers hate crimes based on gender and sexual orientation. 

The post Five things to know about Oklahoma’s hate crime law appeared first on The Frontier.

Harrison had three prior felony convictions, a misdemeanor conviction for domestic abuse and two active protective orders against him that should have kept him from possessing guns under state and federal laws. He also had two pending criminal charges against him for possessing a firearm after a prior felony conviction and was out of jail on bond.

If Currin had lived in one of 21 states with a red flag law, a judge could have ordered police to seize Harrison’s guns. 

Here are five takeaways from The Frontier’s reporting on Currin’s case and how guns contribute to domestic violence in Oklahoma.

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1. Firearms have been the leading cause of domestic violence homicides in Oklahoma since 1998, according to state data. 

2. Guns accounted for 70% of domestic violence-related fatalities in Oklahoma in 2021, according to the most recent state numbers.

3. Oklahoma’s Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board reviews deaths and makes policy recommendations to help protect victims. But the board hasn’t offered any changes to state gun laws. 

4. In 2020, Oklahoma enacted the nation’s first and only anti-red flag law. The law bans the state or any county or city  from enacting a red flag law or accepting any grants to support red flag legislation. 

5. The Violence Policy Center, a nonprofit organization that advocates for gun control has ranked Oklahoma in its top 10 states for women murdered by men in 15 out of the past 25 years. Oklahoma is now ranked number two in the nation for women murdered by men.

The post Five things to know about domestic violence and guns in Oklahoma appeared first on The Frontier.

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services continued to refer clients to a troubled center for people with developmental disabilities in Enid for months after reports of abuse first surfaced. 

The Frontier’s reporting found that a former staff member at the Robert M.Greer Center said coworkers retaliated against her after she reported the allegations. In November, police arrested six individuals on charges of conspiracy and caretaker abuse at the center. The center’s administrator has also resigned. 

Read the full story here. 

Below are five key takeaways from The Frontier’s reporting: 

1. After reporting abuse at the Greer Center, a former staffer found flyers of herself around Enid suggesting she was available for sexual encounters. The flyers had her photo and phone number. She filed protective orders against four coworkers at the Greer Center, and told the court they had retaliated against her for reporting the abuse. 

2. The Enid Police Department started its own investigation into the Greer Center in June, when a detective learned that the Department of Human Services had already tried to investigate reports of abuse, but had not been able to verify the allegations. 

3. The Department of Human Services said it didn’t know various incidents of abuse were connected until late October. The agency didn’t halt new admissions to the facility until Nov. 16, two days after the first arrests were made and five months after systemic abuse was first reported to police.  

4. Investigating and prosecuting allegations of abuse can be difficult because some victims might be nonverbal. Courts may not view people with developmental disabilities as reliable sources, meaning abuse may not be prosecuted unless there are witnesses or cameras to back up allegations.

5. The Department of Human Services said it isn’t planning to shut down the Greer Center or end a contract with the private company that manages the facility. The Greer Center is the only facility of its kind in the state. 

The post Five things to know about allegations of abuse at the Greer Center appeared first on The Frontier.