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Appearing on the monthly Bartlesville Chief Chat podcast on Thursday, Police Chief Tracy Roles discussed an upcoming community meeting and the City of Bartlesville's approval to hire six additional school resource officers.

The Bartlesville Police Department (BPD) still has an open position and they extended an offer to fill that role. Chief Roles says they will have nine openings available starting July 1 due largely in part by the Bartlesville City Council's approval to add eight new officers. He says that will bring the BPD's sworn staffing numbers up to 74.

Chief Roles says they are excited to have this opportunity to hire more people that way they can better serve the Bartlesville community. He says now is a great time to join a wonderful team.

You will need to complete an application, a written test, and a physical agility test. An extensive background check will be performed on all potential police officers.

Chief Roles says the BPD continues to inch closer to the state average for officers, which stands at 80 officers per number of citizens in the community. He says they are getting closer to that average, and that is a positive thing.

Applications can be found on the BPD's webpage on the City of Bartlesville's website.

The Bartlesville Police Department continues to hold community meetings in different areas in the City. Chief Roles says this is a great way for community members "to put a face with a name" while police officers get to here direct needs and issues going on in Bartlesville. He says this opens the door for better communication.

Chief Roles says they are very excited about these community meetings. He says they are excited to be learning new things during these gatherings while giving you a voice on how you want to be policed.

The next BPD community meeting will be held on Thursday, July 28, at 7:00 p.m. at the Greater First Baptist Church in Bartlesville at 10th and Jennings. All are welcome.

Six additional school resource officers (SRO) will be deployed among the Bartlesville Public Schools District (BPSD). Chief Roles says BPSD Superintendent Chuck McCauley, City Manager Mike Bailey and himself came up with a plan to keep kids safe in class by having an SRO at each of the nine school sites in Bartlesville. He says everyone is committed to the safety of our children.

The Bartlesville City Council approved the 6 SROs in their regular meeting this month. Chief Roles says they now need to hire six people to fill those roles. He says this is an opportunity to protect one of the best school districts in Oklahoma.

Chief Roles applauds the City's leadership as well as the BPSD's leadership for valuing each other's partnership to do good. He says public safety will improve at Bartlesville's schools.

You can listen to Bartlesville Chief Chat on KWON AM 1400, FM 93.3, 95.1 FM and KWONTV.com. The next episode will air on Tuesday, July 12.

To submit community questions or concerns for Bartlesville Chief Chat, send an email to tdroles@cityofbartlesville.org or garrett@bartlesvilleradio.com. You can even call in to leave at comment before each show at 918.336.1400.

Thursday's Bartlesville Chief Chat episode can be viewed below: