City of Tulsa, Tulsa County Reach Five-Year Detention Services Agreement

11/10/2026

Partnership will streamline detention and inmate court operations at David L. Moss

The City of Tulsa and Tulsa County have reached a five-year detention services agreement that will allow the Tulsa Police Department to utilize the Tulsa County Jail, also known as the David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center, for detention services for municipal arrests.

The agreement establishes a longer-term solution for the City following the closure of its Municipal Lockup facility in July and represents an important step toward utilizing community services already in place with aligned supports.  

The Tulsa Police Department has always utilized the Tulsa County Jail for individuals booked with state charges, but for almost a decade, has had a separate lock-up for individuals with municipal charges only. With this agreement, the City will utilize David L. Moss for both municipal and state charges.

“This agreement was about working together to make government more efficient, responsible and effective for the people we serve,” Mayor Monroe Nichols said. “When we made the decision to close the Municipal Lockup, we knew we needed a sustainable path forward that would continue to meet the needs of our police department and municipal court system and for individuals utilizing the facility. Through this partnership with Tulsa County, we have an opportunity to improve how these services are delivered while being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.”

While the detention services agreement provides a foundation for the City's long-term use of the Tulsa County Jail, the City and County will continue coordinating additional administrative procedures related to Tulsa Police supervision, records, bonding and court operations to support the transition.

“Anytime we can streamline processes, better coordinate our resources and work with our partners to deliver services, that is a win for Tulsa,” Nichols added. “I am grateful to the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office, the Board of County Commissioners, our Municipal Court judges and staff, the Tulsa Police Department, specifically Chief Brooks and Commissioner Roberts, and members of my administration for the work that has gone into reaching this agreement.

“I also want to thank our City Councilors, who played an important role in bringing the right people to the table and helping move these conversations forward,” Nichols said. “Their willingness to work collaboratively with our administration and County partners helped us get to this point. This is what good government looks like when we put our shared responsibility to Tulsa residents first.”

“Getting to this agreement took a lot of people working together and staying focused on finding a practical solution,” Council Chair Karen Gilbert said. “I appreciate the partnership between the City, County, law enforcement and court officials that helped make this possible.”

These improvements to Tulsa’s detention needs are part of a broader effort to evaluate how the City delivers services, identify opportunities to streamline operations and ensure public resources are being used effectively.

The City of Tulsa is working closely with our Tulsa Municipal Court judges, staff and Tulsa County staff that will allow for certain municipal court proceedings, including bond hearings, to be conducted virtually at David L. Moss. As such, Tulsa Municipal Court is in the process of setting up a virtual hearing link for the David L Moss hearings. Once live, the information will be available at www.cityoftulsa.org/mchearings. Additional details will be provided as those processes are finalized. It should be noted that all other municipal court proceedings will be unchanged and the court is still located at 600 Civic Center.

Background
Following the closure of the Municipal Lockup in July 2026, the City began using the Tulsa County Jail for detention services on an interim basis while working toward a long-term agreement.

The City of Tulsa opened its Municipal Lockup facility in 2018. When plans for the new Public Safety Center were announced in 2024, the project was designed to house Tulsa Police headquarters, leaving separate decisions to be made regarding the future of the Municipal Lockup and Tulsa Municipal Court.

While this agreement marks another step in the City's broader efforts to modernize its public safety facilities and operations ahead of the planned relocation of Tulsa Police headquarters to the new Public Safety Center next year, the City will continue evaluating options for the future location and operations of Tulsa Municipal Court as well.