SAID, WENT WELL. YEAH. YES. THEY SAID IT WAS A SMOOTH SWEEP. THERE WERE NO ARRESTS OR PROBLEMS OVER THE WEEKEND. AND THEY TOLD ME THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO KEEP EVERYBODY SAFE. BUT NOT EVERYBODY AGREES. IT’S ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT WE’VE HAD IN THE WORKS THAT WE KNOW THAT WE’VE NEEDED TO DO FOR A LITTLE BIT OF TIME NOW, BUT THE GOVERNOR WAS ULTIMATELY THE ONE TO SAY, GO AHEAD AND LET’S GET STARTED ON THIS. STATE CREWS SPENT THE WEEKEND CLEARING CAMPS ON STATE PROPERTY IN TULSA AS PART OF GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT OPERATION SAFE OR SWIFT ACTION FOR FAMILIES EVERYWHERE. THE TROOPERS HAVE BEEN VERY PATIENT AND WORKING WITH THESE PEOPLE AND HELPING THEM GET OFF, AND WE HAVEN’T HAD ANY SIGNIFICANT ISSUES. THEY’VE BEEN ALL COOPERATIVE WITH OUR TROOPERS, AND OUR TROOPERS HAVE BEEN GREAT IN HELPING THEM GET TO WHERE THEY WANT TO GO. TROOPERS TOLD ME TODAY THEY’RE CONCERNED FOR THE PEOPLE LIVING IN THOSE CAMPS. WE’RE NOT GOING TO SOLVE THE HOMELESS ISSUE, BUT OUR CONCERN IS OUR PRIMARY CONCERN IS THAT THESE PEOPLE DON’T CAMP AND WALK ALONG INTERSTATES AND HIGHWAYS. OFTENTIMES WHEN WE SEE AN AUTO PEDESTRIAN COLLISION OCCUR, IT’S A HOMELESS PERSON THAT’S CROSSING TO GO TO THEIR CAMP OR WALKING ALONG THE HIGHWAY OR THE INTERSTATE. AND, YOU KNOW, IT’S BEEN SOMETHING A PATTERN THAT WE’VE BEEN SEEING FOR QUITE SOME TIME. WHILE MANY HAVE BEEN ON BOARD WITH THE IDEA, WE’VE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE CALL US TO THE OFFICE AND TALK TO US ABOUT IT AND TELL US THAT THEY APPRECIATE IT, BUT WE’VE BEEN DOING THERE HAVE BEEN CONCERNS AS WELL, AND WE’VE ALSO HAD SOME PEOPLE CALL AND EXPRESS THEIR DISCONTENT WITH US. AMONG THOSE UNEASY ABOUT THE IDEA, THE HOMELESS ALLIANCE IN OKC. THEIR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TELLING ME IN A STATEMENT THERE ARE WAYS TO PROTECT PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS FROM THESE COLLISIONS THAT DON’T CRIMINALIZE THEIR EXISTENCE. OFFERING SOMEONE THE OPTION OF SHELTER OR JAIL WHEN THERE AREN’T AVAILABLE SHELTER BEDS WILL ONLY LEAD TO MORE TRAUMA AND AN EVEN LONGER ROAD TO STABILITY. AND COMING UP TONIGHT AT SIX, WE’RE HEARING FROM GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT ABOUT THIS OPERATION AND WHAT’S NEXT. REPORTING LIVE IN OKLAHOMA
OHP troopers clear out Tulsa homeless camps following ‘Operation SAFE’ announcement
Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers spent their weekend clearing out homeless camps in Tulsa following Gov. Kevin Stitt’s “Operation SAFE” announcement.
Updated: 5:15 PM CDT Sep 8, 2025
Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers spent their weekend clearing out homeless camps in Tulsa following Gov. Kevin Stitt’s “Operation SAFE” announcement. No arrests were made over the weekend, and troopers said they did not run into any problems during the sweep. They said the ultimate goal is the safety of everyone, even though some people don’t agree. “It’s actually something we’ve had in the works, something we’ve known we needed to do for a little bit of time now, but the governor was the one to say let’s go ahead and get started on this,” Lt. Mark Southall with Oklahoma Highway Patrol said. >> Download the KOCO 5 App | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channelOperation SAFE stands for Swift Action for Families Everywhere, an initiative announced by the governor last week. “These troopers have been very patient and working with these people and helping them get off, and we haven’t had any significant issues. They’ve all been cooperative with our troopers, and our troopers have been helpful in getting them where they want to go,” Southall said. >> Video Below: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt launches Operation SAFE, targeting homelessness in TulsaTroopers said they are concerned for the people living in those homeless camps. “We’re not going to solve the homeless issue, but our concern is, our primary concern is, these people don’t camp and walk alongside highways,” Southall said. “Oftentimes, when we see these autopedestrians occur, it’s a homeless person to cross and go to their camp, or walking along the highway or the interstate, and it’s been something, a pattern, we’ve been seeing for quite some time.” Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.While many have been on board with the idea, there have also been concerns. “We’ve had a lot of people call us, call to the office, and tell us they appreciate what we’ve been doing,” Southall said. “We’ve also had people express their discontent to us.”Among those uneasy about the idea is the Homeless Alliance in Oklahoma City. Top Headlines Artificial sweeteners aged the brain by over 1.5 years, study says 9-vehicle crash involving police unit causes traffic delay on I-44 in southwest Oklahoma City TIMELINE: Tornado risk with severe storms later Monday in Oklahoma Body camera shows Logan County deputy attacked by dogs during domestic disturbance Trump asks Supreme Court for emergency order to keep billions of dollars in foreign aid frozen
Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers spent their weekend clearing out homeless camps in Tulsa following Gov. Kevin Stitt’s “Operation SAFE” announcement.
No arrests were made over the weekend, and troopers said they did not run into any problems during the sweep. They said the ultimate goal is the safety of everyone, even though some people don’t agree.
“It’s actually something we’ve had in the works, something we’ve known we needed to do for a little bit of time now, but the governor was the one to say let’s go ahead and get started on this,” Lt. Mark Southall with Oklahoma Highway Patrol said.
>> Download the KOCO 5 App | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel
Operation SAFE stands for Swift Action for Families Everywhere, an initiative announced by the governor last week.
“These troopers have been very patient and working with these people and helping them get off, and we haven’t had any significant issues. They’ve all been cooperative with our troopers, and our troopers have been helpful in getting them where they want to go,” Southall said.
>> Video Below: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt launches Operation SAFE, targeting homelessness in Tulsa
Troopers said they are concerned for the people living in those homeless camps.
“We’re not going to solve the homeless issue, but our concern is, our primary concern is, these people don’t camp and walk alongside highways,” Southall said. “Oftentimes, when we see these autopedestrians occur, it’s a homeless person to cross and go to their camp, or walking along the highway or the interstate, and it’s been something, a pattern, we’ve been seeing for quite some time.”
Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.
While many have been on board with the idea, there have also been concerns.
“We’ve had a lot of people call us, call to the office, and tell us they appreciate what we’ve been doing,” Southall said. “We’ve also had people express their discontent to us.”
Among those uneasy about the idea is the Homeless Alliance in Oklahoma City.
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