CITIES, YET THE OKLAHOMA HIGHWAY PATROL SAID THAT SWEEP WENT WELL IN TULSA OVER THE WEEKEND, AND GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT SAID THAT’S JUST THE BEGINNING OF OPERATION SAFE. WE’LL GO TO OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE AS WELL. GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT SAYS TULSA IS JUST THE BEGINNING. WE STARTED THERE, BUT WE’RE NOT. WE’RE NOT FORECLOSING THE, YOU KNOW, THE DECISION TO GO ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE STATE. THAT’S FOR OPERATION SAFE, SWIFT ACTION FOR FAMILIES EVERYWHERE WHERE STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS DIRECTED BY THE GOVERNOR TO CLEAR HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS ON STATE PROPERTY IN TULSA. AND 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. WE HAD TO USE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, JOHN DEERE BACKHOES AND THE DIFFERENT SKID STEERS TO CLEAN UP 104 TONS OF TRASH. AT THIS POINT, I THINK THERE’S 11 MORE SITES THAT WE’RE GETTING TO. THE OKLAHOMA HIGHWAY PATROL SAYS THAT WEEKEND OPERATION WAS A SUCCESS AND THEY DIDN’T HAVE ANY ARRESTS IN THE PROCESS. SO WHAT’S NEXT? GOVERNOR STITT SAYS THE PLAN WON’T STOP THERE. MATTER OF FACT, I HAVE PEOPLE JUST ON. ON SATURDAY, I WENT TO THE OKLAHOMA MICHIGAN GAME AND AND PEOPLE FROM MUSKOGEE TO NORMAN TO OKLAHOMA CITY TO DOWNTOWN OKLAHOMA CITY HAVE BEGGED US TO COME HELP THEM. WE’RE DEALING WITH THE SAME PROBLEM IN OKLAHOMA CITY. OUR CONCERN IS PEDESTRIANS. YOU KNOW, THE HOMELESS GETTING STRUCK BY CARS OR CAMPING SO CLOSE TO THE ROADWAY. THE HOMELESS ALLIANCE IN OKLAHOMA CITY SAYS THERE ARE WAYS TO PROTECT PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS FROM THESE COLLISIONS THAT DON’T CRIMINALIZE THEIR EXISTENCE. WE DIDN’T JUST KICK THEM OFF OF STATE PROPERTY. WE OFFERED TO TAKE THEM TO A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PLACES, AND MOST PEOPLE DIDN’T WANT OUR HELP. THE HOMELESS ALLIANCE WENT ON TO SAY 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 YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THIS POST ON X FROM GOVERNOR STITT FRIDAY APPLAUDING MAYOR DAVID HOLT FOR TAKING INSPIRATION FROM OPERATION SAFE. I ASKED THE CITY FOR A COMMENT ON THAT POST. THEY TELL ME THEY ROUTINELY WORK WITH ODOT, WITH PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, AND THAT WAS A ROUTINE SITUATION. AND MAYOR HOLT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. IN FACT, HE CAN’T DIRECT EMPLOYEES IN THAT WAY. AND AS FAR AS TULSA, STITT SAYS LAW ENFORCEMENT WILL BE BACK TO THE SITES WHERE THEY’VE CLEARED JUST TO MAKE SURE THEY AREN’T OCCUPIED. AGAIN, REPORTING IN
‘Operation SAFE’ expands beyond Tulsa to address homelessness in Oklahoma
Gov. Kevin Stitt’s “Operation SAFE,” which began in Tulsa, aims to clear homeless encampments on state property and is set to expand across Oklahoma.
Updated: 10:58 PM CDT Sep 8, 2025
Gov. Kevin Stitt’s “Operation SAFE,” which started with clearing homeless encampments in Tulsa, is set to expand to other parts of Oklahoma as state law enforcement continues to address the issue on state property. “We’ll go to other parts of the states as well,” Stitt said, emphasizing that Tulsa is just the beginning. “We started there, but we’re not foreclosing the decision to go anywhere else in the state.”The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported that the weekend operation in Tulsa was successful, with no arrests made during the process. Lt. Mark Southall of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol highlighted the primary concern of ensuring people do not camp or walk alongside highways. “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.>> Video Below: OHP troopers clear out Tulsa homeless camps following ‘Operation SAFE’ announcementStitt also mentioned receiving requests for assistance from various locations across the state.”We had to use, you know, John Deere backhoes, and the different skid steers to clean up 104 tons of trash at this point. I think there’s 11 more sites that we have to get to,” Stitt said. “Just on Saturday, I went to the OU-Michigan game, and people from Muskogee to Norman south OKC to downtown OKC have begged us to come help them.” Southall noted similar concerns in Oklahoma City, where the proximity of homeless individuals to roadways poses a risk. “We’re dealing with the same problem in Oklahoma City. Our concern is pedestrians, the homeless getting struck by cars or camping so close to the roadway,” Southall said.The Homeless Alliance in Oklahoma City expressed concerns about the approach.”There are ways to protect people experiencing homelessness from these collisions that don’t criminalize their existence,” the Homeless Alliance said in a statement. “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.”>> Download the KOCO 5 App | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channelStitt recently praised Mayor David Holt on social media for taking inspiration from Operation SAFE, although the city clarified that Holt was not involved in directing employees in such a manner. The city routinely collaborates with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to assist people experiencing homelessness.As for Tulsa, Stitt confirmed that law enforcement will revisit cleared sites to ensure they remain unoccupied.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
Gov. Kevin Stitt’s “Operation SAFE,” which started with clearing homeless encampments in Tulsa, is set to expand to other parts of Oklahoma as state law enforcement continues to address the issue on state property.
“We’ll go to other parts of the states as well,” Stitt said, emphasizing that Tulsa is just the beginning. “We started there, but we’re not foreclosing the decision to go anywhere else in the state.”
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported that the weekend operation in Tulsa was successful, with no arrests made during the process.
Lt. Mark Southall of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol highlighted the primary concern of ensuring people do not camp or walk alongside highways.
“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.
>> Video Below: OHP troopers clear out Tulsa homeless camps following ‘Operation SAFE’ announcement
Stitt also mentioned receiving requests for assistance from various locations across the state.
“We had to use, you know, John Deere backhoes, and the different skid steers to clean up 104 tons of trash at this point. I think there’s 11 more sites that we have to get to,” Stitt said. “Just on Saturday, I went to the OU-Michigan game, and people from Muskogee to Norman south OKC to downtown OKC have begged us to come help them.”
Southall noted similar concerns in Oklahoma City, where the proximity of homeless individuals to roadways poses a risk.
“We’re dealing with the same problem in Oklahoma City. Our concern is pedestrians, the homeless getting struck by cars or camping so close to the roadway,” Southall said.
The Homeless Alliance in Oklahoma City expressed concerns about the approach.
“There are ways to protect people experiencing homelessness from these collisions that don’t criminalize their existence,” the Homeless Alliance said in a statement. “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.”
>> Download the KOCO 5 App | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel
Stitt recently praised Mayor David Holt on social media for taking inspiration from Operation SAFE, although the city clarified that Holt was not involved in directing employees in such a manner. The city routinely collaborates with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to assist people experiencing homelessness.
As for Tulsa, Stitt confirmed that law enforcement will revisit cleared sites to ensure they remain unoccupied.
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