Local resident delivers legal demand, questions police spending and training during council public comment

During the public-comment portion of the Pryor Creek City Council meeting, resident Andrew Martin said he delivered a revised legal demand to the mayor, the clerk and council members. Martin said the document updates an April 4 submission and includes allegations of falsified police reports, retaliatory enforcement and repeated civil-rights violations. He said the letter places the city and its insurance provider on notice.

Martin also said he submitted a public-record request and asked the council for a “good faith summary” of police negotiations before any closed-session discussions of the Fraternal Order of Police contract. He criticized the city for investing in surveillance systems — including facial recognition and license-plate readers — and described what he characterized as heavy purchases of ammunition and body armor, arguing the purchases were inconsistent with a civilian policing model.

He said Pryor “has one of the highest paid police forces in Oklahoma” and alleged there has been little scrutiny on hiring, spending or conduct, and that he has found no evidence of required constitutional or de-escalation training. Martin said his escalation is intended to prompt council attention and encouraged the council to take the matter seriously.

Council members did not take immediate action on the public comment during the meeting; the mayor and staff later moved into agenda items that addressed police hiring, equipment purchases and contract negotiations in subsequent agenda items.