TULSA, OKLA. (KTUL) — Governor Kevin Stitt reported on Saturday that Operation SAFE (Swift Action for Families Everywhere) crews removed 206,000 pounds of debris and discarded materials from 21 encampment sites in Tulsa on Friday.
The initiative utilizes the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) to clear homeless encampments around underpasses, highways, state buildings, and other state-controlled land. People experiencing homelessness at the encampments were offered a ride to a treatment facility or a ride to jail.
“It isn’t compassionate to leave people out on the street, exposed to drugs, violence, and the elements,” Governor Stitt said in a video posted to Facebook on Friday. “True compassion means helping them find safe alternatives, and protecting Oklahoma families from crime and chaos.”
Stitt also reported that one encampment near a residential neighborhood had multiple needles and hazardous materials.
The operation has received mixed reactions from the community, with some saying they don’t think the initiative is helpful.
As troopers worked to clear the encampments, they encountered an aggressive dog on Friday morning. According to OHP, the dog lunged towards them, and a trooper fired a single shot. The dog was injured and was taken to a vet.
