This week, Oklahoma’s Attorney General issued an opinion on the Oklahoma Highway Patrol’s plan to shift more troopers from metro areas to rural counties. While some departments say the move would hurt urban coverage, others, like Rogers County, say it’s exactly what rural Oklahoma needs.
Q: What was the original plan by OHP?
A: The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety proposed reallocating state troopers from Oklahoma City and Tulsa to rural areas. The agency said in a statement:
“OHP has not and never will abandon or abdicate its role as the primary law enforcement agency in the state. The plan OHP presented simply asked the municipal agencies in the two metro areas to work the car crashes within their city limits the way other municipalities do across the state.
The opinion that has been issued does not undermine OHP’s troop realignment strategy. With that in mind, OHP recognizes the original plan will require some adjustments, and OHP leadership is evaluating appropriate updates to the plan…