Has this ever been discussed here? It's a 23-minute BBC radio documentary.

24 Hours In Tulsa (http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/documentaries/2009/12/091229_24_hours_in_tulsa.shtml)

A midget street thug on a kiddy bike. Incompetent thieves who resort to stealing air-conditioning units. A woman too drunk to notice a police car heading towards her with all lights flashing.

These are just some of the criminals and junkies, the faithful and forlorn encountered by one police officer cruising the streets of one Midwestern US city. But this policeman has an eye for the weird, an overdeveloped sense of humour and a talent for narrative.

Which is why Officer Jay Chiarito-Mazarrella created a cult following for his Street Story podcasts, vivid vignettes of his work for the Tulsa Police Department.

In 24 Hours in Tulsa, we hear the best of the Street Stories, giving us a fresh, funny and sometimes downright scary insight into policing from the horse's mouth.

The stories are interspersed with location recordings of Officer Jay and buddy Corporal Will Dalsing out in their patrol car, checking out drug lab fires, random shootings, car crashes and drug busts.

And in the wee small hours of a Tulsa morning, Officer Jay describes how members of his own family became involved with the mafia, a street story very close to home.


A fascinating 25 minutes!

The parts where Tulsa cops were concerned about chasing people over pot seemed so childish and silly. How much longer are Oklahomans gonna need before finally wising up to how serious is the need to legalize pot? Notice that cops never chase people over cigarettes or beer. Must be because, unlike pot, those two items are legal.

The parts where Tulsa cops were concerned about chasing people over pot seemed so childish and silly. How much longer are Oklahomans gonna need before finally wising up to how serious is the need to legalize pot? Notice that cops never chase people over cigarettes or beer. Must be because, unlike pot, those two items are legal.

So by that logic, if we legalize an illegal thing, then that solves the crime fighting side huh? So we should legalize crack because then we wouldn't have to spend time enforcing the laws that prohibit it huh..... wow.

I should say, if you think we should legalize pot, you need a better argument than that. I'm not wholly disagreeing, but that's weak logic.

:LolLolLolDT Tulsa development is sooo ahead of DT OKC........

What do these stories have to do with DT Tulsa development?

:LolLolLolDT Tulsa development is sooo ahead of DT OKC........

Like Floyd, I'm a little curious what the stories have to do with downtown development in Tulsa? I found the podcasts from the TPD a fascinating way of communicating with the public. Especially when you have a man with great storytelling skills as they do with Officer Mazarrella. He should be writing a book.

For those who may not want to listen to the whole thing, here's a two-minute promo with slideshow (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8417565.stm) that will probably hook you to listen to the entire program (here's the link again to the full show (http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/documentaries/2009/12/091229_24_hours_in_tulsa.shtml)).

So by that logic, if we legalize an illegal thing, then that solves the crime fighting side huh? So we should legalize crack because then we wouldn't have to spend time enforcing the laws that prohibit it huh..... wow.

I should say, if you think we should legalize pot, you need a better argument than that. I'm not wholly disagreeing, but that's weak logic.

Yes, I pity you mightily that you can't see much logic. I'm all for legalizing drugs. I challenge you to speak with a shred of logic why we should keep the underground drug market as it is now in the hands of criminals, many who would like to prey on children for business.

Too bad these cops don't talk about arresting Jerry Giordano..lol