OHP plans to pull troopers from two major counties, metro police departments respond

Local police departments are responding after the Oklahoma Highway Patrol announced it would remove troopers from two major counties starting November 1. 

The announcement, which went out last Thursday, triggered a response from a lawmaker as well. 

"The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety has decided that effective November 1st, they're going to withdraw troopers on the Interstate highways in Oklahoma and Tulsa counties,” said State Sen. Mark Mann, D-Oklahoma City. 

While reallocating resources away from Oklahoma and Tulsa counties could benefit other communities that will see an increase in law enforcement, Sen. Mann told News 9 it could overburden already overwhelmed police departments. 

“Particularly in my district, the Del City Police Department, the Oklahoma City Police Department, which are already understaffed and have too much on their plate." 

He added that local police departments are not equipped to handle all of the highway happenings. 

"Troopers are trained to respond to semi-trailer accidents. Most local law enforcement agencies do not have anyone trained to handle that type of accident. So, there's some training issues as well,” Mann noted. 

Sen. Mann requested Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s formal opinion on the matter. 

"We asked three questions. The first question is, according to Title 47, is the OHP the primary responding authority on interstate highways? If the answer to that is ‘yes’, the second question is: does the Department of Public Safety have the right and ability to just say ‘we're not going to cover 2 counties in the state’?” 

He continued questioning. 

“If the answer is ‘no’, would it require the governor to compel them to follow the law?" 

In a statement to News 9, the Oklahoma City Police Department said: 

This presents a new set of circumstances for our department, and we will need time to evaluate and determine what the appropriate protocol will be once the changes take effect.  

In a similar response, the Norman Police Department said: 

NPD is currently evaluating the operational impact of the shift in responsibility for coverage of I-35 through Norman to determine the appropriate course of action. We remain committed to maintaining public safety for our community. 

According to OHP, in FYE 2025 alone, 408 collisions, as well as two fatal collisions, were reported on the section of I-35 that runs through Norman. 

These numbers do not include calls for motorist assists, traffic hazards, other crimes, or debris removal. 

"I've talked with Del City police officers, Oklahoma City police officers. I've talked with troopers. I've yet to find one that thinks this is a good path forward," Sen. Mann concluded. 

RELATED:

1. Oklahoma Highway Patrol is shifting resources away from the Tulsa metro, here's why
2. OHP reassigning troopers, forcing local police to patrol metro highways