Lateka Alexander is the first, and only, African-American female officer in the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. She graduated from the OHP academy in 2001 and has been a trooper ever since. Jerry Cason, the OHP's first African-American police chief, convinced her to join.
Lt. Ronald Johnson was the first black trooper in the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. He graduated from the patrol's academy in 1968 when he was 34 years old. Johnson had retired from the U.S. Air Force and applied to the academy the previous year but was told the department had "lost his application". And the commander at the time said the OHP was not ready for a black trooper.
Johnson reapplied the following year and, out of 26 recruits, he was one of seven men to graduate. He retired from the OHP in 1987 and passed away in 2011.
First, Oklahoma City announces it might have to close schools because of budget cuts. Now the Oklahoma Highway Patrol is bracing for the next round of cuts. The agency is still reeling from cuts it experienced last year. Since the state legislature refuses to end tax breaks and incentives for oil and gas, Oklahoma is facing a $900,000,000 budget deficit.
OHP Chief Rick Adams said: "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." So what's Governor Scary Failing to do? Cut funding to one of the most important agencies dedicated to our safety, of course!
Currently OHP has only about 600 officers, but ideally, they would have 950. There were 845 in 1990. Twenty-six percent of the force is close to retiring, and with no money for OHP training, it's going to be difficult to replace them.
