OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says it is on track to meet the goals set through the “Mission: Secure Oklahoma Schools.”
The executive order from Gov. Kevin Stitt required that every trooper in Oklahoma be trained in the Law Enforcement Active Shooter Emergency Response program by the end of the year.
So far, officials say 708 troopers have been trained and 90 have been certified as instructors.
“I am so proud of our Department of Public Safety, Oklahoma School Security Institute, CLEET Academy, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and everyone who has been working to implement Mission S.O.S. to keep our children safe at school,” said Governor Kevin Stitt. “In just six months, we have worked together to provide hundreds of law enforcement officers across Oklahoma with the most updated training, including sheriff’s offices in Wagoner and Canadian counties as well as police departments in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Norman, Weatherford, Woodward, Mustang, Langston, Yukon, Muskogee, and more. We have successfully seen 93% of schools implement the RAVE App and are working with school districts and teachers to give them the tools and strategies to handle an active shooter incident. In Oklahoma, we are taking every precaution to ensure we are ready not just to respond, but to also prevent mass violence from happening in our schools.”
OHP has also developed a pilot program to train troopers in conducting school threat assessments in conjunction with the Oklahoma School Security Institute.
“The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is committed to safety not just on Oklahoma roads but in our schools and places of business as well,” said Department of Public Safety Commissioner Tim Tipton. “We are working tirelessly with our partners around the state to ensure everyone is trained and ready to respond in the most efficient way possible to save lives.”