The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety requested over $25 million to train highway patrol troopers.
Commissioner Tim Tipton told House lawmakers during budget hearings Monday that the funding to hold more academy classes is necessary to in order to train and hire the number of troopers needed to adequately patrol the state amid retirements and other attrition.
“I’m here asking for what I need,” he said. “This isn’t me asking for anything extra. This is me asking simply what we need to be able to do our job that I think you all and the citizens expect us to do.”
The $25.8 million would cover the first year salary, equipment and training for new cadets, Tipton said. DPS would plan to use this money to fund two future academy classes with 72 cadets each with hopes of graduating at least 50 troopers from each class, an agency spokesperson said.
DPS would need between 1,200 and 1,300 troopers to ensure 24/7 coverage for all of Oklahoma’s counties, Tipton said. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol currently employs over 760 troopers, according to the DPS presentation.
It’s a “perpetual problem” for troopers to be overworked, he said, which can be a mental health and wellness issue, as well as a safety concern.
“You’re working without a partner,” Tipton said. “You may be covering two or three or four counties by yourself, your own call, your entire life. There is no free time when you get your days off. … We’ve done everything that we can to think outside the box.”
The funding would “restore operational balance” and allow for 24/7 shift coverage, reduce reliance on excessive overtime, and improve officer availability in rural and high-need areas, according to the DPS presentation.
Tipton had previously attempted to pull Highway Patrol troopers off interstates in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metropolitan areas, but that plan was stymied after an opinion from Attorney General Gentner Drummond found this to be illegal.
“I tried to make efficiencies this past year to be able to accomplish the mission and quit harming my troopers that are out working the road,” Tipton said. “I got hammered for that, and I understand everybody’s got their own opinion about that. I’ve got to worry about the well being of the troopers and for the citizens that are most vulnerable, and we tried to make adjustments for that.”
Every state agency submits a budget request to the Oklahoma Legislature ahead of session, but lawmakers have the final say on what is funded.
Oklahoma Voice is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence.
