The ongoing dispute over jurisdiction of Oklahoma highways has arrived at a juncture with Attorney General Gentner Drummond siding with Sen. Mark Mann, D-Oklahoma City who took issue when the Oklahoma Highway Patrol announced a cessation in patrolling metropolitan counties, a move that would leave local law enforcement absorbing the responsibility of interstate oversight. In a statement obtained by the Oklahoma Senate, Mann expressed relief saying, "As I looked at the statutes, it seemed clear to me that Oklahoma Highway Patrol has the responsibility for patrolling Oklahoma’s national system of interstate and defense highways, and I questioned their ability to simply cease enforcement in certain areas."
Senator Mann, representing Senate District 46 which encompasses parts of Oklahoma City and Del City, raised alarms about the implications of the OHP's intended withdrawal, arguing that shifting such a weight onto local police and sheriffs’ departments posed potential challenges and public safety risks, the attorney general’s recent opinion confirms Mann's concerns were valid and those highway patrol resources should not be withdrawn from areas where they are heavily relied upon. Drummond's confirmation in legal opinion lays the foundation for the ongoing provision of state-level patrolling of heavily trafficked interstate regions, as reported by the Oklahoma Senate.
Local communities, potentially impacted by this policy shift, had awaited the attorney general's opinion with a mix of hope and anxiety, Mann's advocacy highlighting collective fears that local bodies might not be equipped to handle the added pressures. "Having troopers on our most heavily traveled highways is crucial for public safety," Mann said, stressing the critical role OHP plays in metropolitan areas, according to the Oklahoma Senate.
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