By: Kirk McCracken, KRMG Reporter
Several bars downtown have found a new way to communicate with police, and each other, by using the messaging app SIGNAL instead of calling 911.
Chris Armstrong, owner of Arnie’s Bar in downtown, tells KRMG bar owners are being proactive by using SIGNAL to alert other establishments of people who have been kicked out or underage kids trying to get in. When it comes to non-emergency situations, Armstrong said they are able to communicate with police using the app, and they also use hand signals and flashlight signals to communicate with each other.
“So, if we see something, even if it hasn’t gotten out of control, we can report to the officer without having to tie up 911,” he said.
Armstrong said downtown Tulsa gets a bad rap at times, especially during the high-profile shootings that happened last summer, but he feels safe there. He’s worked in the downtown area since the mid-1990s.
“My wife has no problem walking around downtown, (and) neither do I,” Armstrong said.
Arnie’s just celebrated St. Patrick’s Day, and Armstrong says everyone behaved themselves.
