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OKLAHOMA CITY - After losing
millions in previous budget reductions in FY17, officials at the Department of
Public Safety and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are viewing a potential 15
percent budget cut for FY18 as a significant risk to public safety for the
public, local law enforcement and State Troopers.
On March 7, DPS was requested to
compile a list of the impacts of a potential 15 percent across-the-board budget
cut. The analysis resulted in alarming concerns from DPS/OHP officials.
OHP Chief Rick Adams said, “The
perilous security environment created by a 15 percent budget cut places
citizens at increased risk, local law enforcement at risk and our troopers’
lives at risk. This is a gathering Public Safety Crisis that can only be fixed
by adequate funding, and everyone will feel the impact. Further triaging of
resources, further cuts in mileage and no manpower replacements – all at a time
when 26 percent of the OHP is eligible for retirement – makes this evolving
situation far more sinister than budget crises of the past.”
Adams continued: “The OHP is the
only state law enforcement agency with a permanent presence in all of
Oklahoma's 77 counties, to proactively prevent crime and traffic deaths.
Troopers routinely protect Oklahomans from ‘things that go bump in the night’
as we carry out a wide range of mission demands. Those missions range from
traditional traffic and commercial motor carrier enforcement, patrolling our
waterways, providing statewide air support, antiterrorism efforts, bomb team
capability, dealing with natural and manmade disasters, providing forces to
quell riots and civil disturbances, the interruption and interdiction of
criminal activity, conducting many types of criminal investigations, protecting
the Governor and securing the capitol complex, and tracking down many of the
state’s most dangerous criminals. Which of these missions do we abandon?”
The next threat to Oklahomans
could come from anywhere, without warning, Adams said, requiring the OHP to bring
decisive action with a well-trained, well-equipped force flexible enough to
adapt to any situation.
“These cuts will force deeper
operational restrictions, elimination of missions, possible closure of Headquarters,
furloughs, and possible layoffs of troopers and other DPS employees. This
Public Safety Crisis harms DPS and the OHP and will put lives at
risk."
Assistant Commissioner Gerald
Davidson stated that, with an additional 15 percent cut, DPS will not be
able to maintain our current reduced level of services. This level of cut
would be catastrophic to public safety. The following is a short list of
actions the agency will have to consider:
- The
certainty of 23 furlough days for troopers and DPS personnel
- A
Reduction in Force (RIF) of both troopers and DPS employees across the
state is highly probable
- A hard hiring freeze on DPS and OHP personnel. Any reduction of DPS/OHP
personnel will directly impact the public by increasing response time by
OHP in the case of emergencies or the need for assistance. Additionally,
the public will experience substantially increased wait times for all services
provided by DPS such as driver license issuance and reinstatement, obtaining
accident records, handicap placards, etc.
- A halt of ongoing maintenance of the state’s radio system which is utilized by,
and would impact, not only law enforcement at the state level, but also hinder
local fire departments and municipal police departments’ ability to respond to
local incidents
- A halt of ongoing upgrade and replacement of aging computer networks, which
will affect the Real ID rollout
- Closure of select driver license stations around the state, as manpower
reduces. This could potentially reduce the number of testing stations
from 36 to 12. This will result in increased drive times to obtain driver
license/ID cards as well as increase wait times at these facilities
- No future OHP Academy until 2019 or beyond. OHP is currently 154 troopers
under minimum manning requirements. Delaying an Academy until 2019 or
2020 would put OHP strength just above 650 of the 950 minimum
requirement. This critically low staffing number means response times to
collisions and other emergencies would be drastically increased
- OHP future patrol car purchases would only be considered on a case-by-case
basis. Troopers will drive patrol cars considerably longer, which compromises
the safety of troopers responding to emergencies
- OHP mileage restrictions and other resource-saving measures will deepen,
impacting courts, other state agencies and local jurisdictions
- OHP Aircraft operations will fly only life safety missions and would no longer
be available to provide assistance for non-life-threatening events
- Elimination of the OHP Motorcycle Division, liquidation of assets and
cancellation of Motorcycle Safety programs
- Downscaling of the OHP Training Division; will no longer be able to assist in
sponsoring CLEET Basic Course
- OHP Marine Enforcement Division and Dive Team will be forced to only respond to
calls on State Lakes and would no longer be available to respond to private
property incidents (i.e. private property drownings)
- Possible closure of aging OHP Troop Headquarters and consolidation of
communication centers
- Reduced OHP manpower provided to State and Federal Task Forces
- Further reductions of current OHP manpower at the capitol complex
- Additional cuts of services could become necessary
“A budget cut this significant is unsustainable for DPS/OHP,” said DPS
Commissioner Michael C. Thompson. “The department exists to help protect the
public, and this cut makes our mission incredibly challenging. The proposed cut
for FY18, on the heels of deep FY17 cuts, will cripple our agency’s ability to
serve Oklahoma. Difficult choices are inevitable if this cut becomes a reality.”
In order to answer
media questions about this issue, DPS and OHP will be hosting a press
conference at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 9, at the Robert R. Lester Training
Center at 3600 N. Martin Luther King in Oklahoma City. Members of the media are
invited to attend. Please notify DPS Public Affairs Division if you plan to
send a reporter and/or photographer: 405-425-7709.
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