LOCAL
Kimberly Marsh, The Oklahoma Eagle
Oklahoma state troopers stand near a homeless encampment cleanup near North Peoria Avenue and Highway 75. Photo: Tim Landes/The Oklahoma Eagle.
Amid controversy over Gov. Kevin Stitt’s Operation SAFE, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said its ongoing encampment sweeps on state property in Tulsa were never meant to solve the homeless problem.
“The intent of this operation was to move these folks away from these dangerous highways and interstate systems,” said Oklahoma Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. Mark Southall, citing one example of a woman killed by a motorcyclist on I-35 in Oklahoma City. “So far, we haven’t made any arrests, which, again, is not our mission.”
Southall spoke to reporters Thursday near an encampment at Highway 75 and North Peoria Avenue a week after troopers were ordered by Stitt to take unhoused people camping on state property to shelters or jail and remove their belongings and trash from the area.
“I can tell you that multiple times that we work crashes, when you wake up in the morning and hear of an auto-pedestrian crash in Tulsa, it’s most of the time not somebody that’s got a stable job,” Southall said. “It’s most of the time someone that’s homeless.”
In the last week, OHP has cleared 64 camps using 20-25 troopers daily, working about 14-hour days. The agency is enforcing a law prohibiting unauthorized camps on state property that went into effect in November 2024.
“We have had camps that have been barricaded back up,” Southall said. “Of course, we just clear those out again. Our goal is that people realize that they can’t camp out here anymore.”
Though no arrests have been made, people could be charged with a misdemeanor that carries a $50 fine and maximum 15 days in jail. Multiple warnings are given before state police clear camps and signs are posted on the encampment properties, Southall said.
OHP aims to finish the sweeps by Tuesday, then will conduct periodic checks to prevent reestablishment. Southall acknowledged that a broader community response involving city, county and service organizations is needed.
Operation SAFE has prompted outcry from Mayor Monroe Nichols and service providers who were planning to move unhoused individuals and families into permanent housing through a coordinated effort. Nichols, who announced in August plans to identify 300 homes for individuals and families now in shelters, said Stitt’s operation is interfering with that.
While OHP has not coordinated with Nichols’ office or any city agency, Southall said they have partnered with the Tulsa Day Center and Women & Children’s Services.
However, only one person requested to be transported to a service provider, he said.
