Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security

Last updated
Oklahoma Secretary of
Safety and Security
Seal of Oklahoma.svg
Great Seal of Oklahoma
Agency overview
FormedJune 6, 1986
Headquarters3600 N Martin Luther King
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Employees9,764 (FY2011)
Annual budget$1.2 billion (FY2011)
Minister responsible
Child agencies
Website Office of the Secretary of Safety and Security

The Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security is a member of the Oklahoma Governor's Cabinet. The Secretary is appointed by the Governor, with the consent of the Oklahoma Senate, to serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Secretary serves as the chief advisor to the Governor on public safety and criminal justice.

Oklahoma Governors Cabinet body of the executive branch of the Oklahoma-government

The Cabinet of the Governor of Oklahoma is a body of the most senior appointed officials of the executive branch of the government of Oklahoma. Originally an informal meeting between the Governor of Oklahoma and various government officials, the Governor's Cabinet has evolved into an important information link between the Governor and the various agencies, boards and commissions that operate within state government.

Oklahoma Senate upper state chamber of a state of the United-States of America

The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.

Criminal justice system of governments directed at mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts

Criminal justice is the delivery of justice to those who have committed crimes. The criminal justice system is a series of government agencies and institutions whose goals are to identify and catch unlawful individuals to inflict a form of punishment on them. Other goals include the rehabilitation of offenders, preventing other crimes, and moral support for victims. The primary institutions of the criminal justice system are the police, prosecution and defense lawyers, the courts and prisons.

Contents

The current Secretary is Chip Keating who was appointed by Governor Kevin Stitt in 2019, succeeding Billy D. “Rusty” Rhoades III, who was appointed by Governor Mary Fallin in 2017. [1]

Kevin Stitt 28th Governor of Oklahoma

John Kevin Stitt is an American businessman and politician serving as the 28th Governor of Oklahoma since January 2019. He founded and is a former chairman and CEO of Gateway Mortgage Group. A Republican, he was elected governor in 2018, defeating Democratic nominee and former Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson. Stitt grew up in Norman, Oklahoma, and graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in accounting. He and his wife Sarah have six children. A member of the Cherokee Nation, Stitt is the second Native American to serve as governor of Oklahoma after Johnston Murray.

Mary Fallin 27th Governor of Oklahoma

Mary Fallin is an American politician who served as the 27th governor of Oklahoma from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, she was elected in 2010 and reelected in 2014.

History

The Secretary of Safety and Security was established in 1986 to provide greater oversight and coordination to the public safety and criminal justice activities of the State government. The position was established, along with the Oklahoma Governor's Cabinet, by the Executive Branch Reform Act of 1986. The Act directed the Secretary of Safety and Security to advise the Governor on public safety policy and advise the state public safety agencies on new policy as directed by the Governor.

Executive Branch Reform Act of 1986

The Executive Branch Reform Act of 1986 is an Oklahoma state law that requires the Governor of Oklahoma to organize the various 500 or more departments, agencies, boards, commissions and other entities of the state's executive branch into a cabinet system. The act grouped state agencies into clusters with an informational link to a cabinet secretary. But the legislation stopped short of consolidating agencies or the decision-making authority of the agencies, boards and commissions.

Dual Position

Oklahoma state law allows for Cabinet Secretaries to serve concurrently as the head of a State agency in addition to their duties as a Cabinet Secretary. Historically, the Secretary of Safety and Security has also served as the Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety. As of 2011, all Secretaries of Safety and Security have served in that dual position.

Oklahoma Department of Public Safety

The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety (ODPS) is a department of the government of Oklahoma. Under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security, DPS provides for the safety of Oklahomans and the administration of justice in the state. DPS is responsible for statewide law enforcement, vehicle regulation, homeland security and such other duties as the Governor of Oklahoma may proscribe. DPS has the duty to provide for the protection and security of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

Responsibilities

The Secretary of Safety and Security is responsible for overseeing State police services, criminal investigations, criminal justice and adult criminal corrections. The Secretary also coordinates the State's justice system by overseeing all state prosecutors and generally maintains public order throughout the State through oversight of all State law enforcement agencies. Homeland security, emergency management and law enforcement training are also overseen by the Secretary.

Homeland security is an American national security umbrella term for "the national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive to the national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce the vulnerability of the U.S. to terrorism, and minimize the damage from attacks that do occur". According to an official work published by the Congressional Research Service in 2013 the "Homeland security" term's definition has varied over time.

Emergency management is the organization and management of the resources and responsibilities for dealing with all humanitarian aspects of emergencies. The aim is to reduce the harmful effects of all hazards, including disasters.

The Secretary serves ex officio as the Governor's Representative for Highway Safety. As such, the Secretary is responsible for administering all funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the purposes of promoting highway safety.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration American agency of the Executive Branch of the Department of Transportation

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government, part of the Department of Transportation. It describes its mission as "Save lives, prevent injuries, reduce vehicle-related crashes."

As of fiscal year 2011, the Secretary of Safety and Security oversees 9,764 full-time employees and has responsibility for an annual budget of $1.2 billion.

Agencies overseen

The Secretary of Safety and Security oversees the following state entities:

SealAgencyFunction
Seal of Oklahoma.svg Office of the Attorney General [2] Defends the State in legal affairs and prosecutes violations of criminal laws
Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission Enforces State alcohol ad tobacco laws
Council on Firefighter Training Oversees training requirements for all firefighters in the State
Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training Oversees training requirements for all police officers in the State
Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control Enforces State drug laws
Department of Corrections Manages State prison system
Department of Emergency Management Oversees State response to natural disasters
Department of Public Safety Enforces State traffic laws and provides general law enforcement Statewide
Highway Patrol Enforces State traffic laws and provides general law enforcement Statewide
Highway Safety Office Promotes traffic safety
Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security.jpg Office of Homeland Security Oversees State response to acts of terrorism
Seal of Oklahoma.svg District Attorneys Council Prosecutes violations of criminal laws
Seal of Oklahoma.svg Indigent Defense System Provides legal representation for indigent defenders
Seal of Oklahoma.svg Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Investigates suspicious deaths
Office of State Fire Marshal Investigates arsons and enforces building code law
Seal of Oklahoma.svg Pardon and Parole Board Reviews requests for clemency from the Governor of Oklahoma
State Bureau of Investigation Provides investigative assistance to State and local law enforcement agencies

Salary

The annual salary of the Secretary of Safety and Security is set by law at $85,000. [3] Despite this law, if the Secretary serves as the head of State agency, the Secretary receives the higher of the two salaries. Since former Secretary Kevin Ward also served as the DPS Commissioner, he received the salary allowed for that position. As of 2010, the annual salary of that position is set at $111,133.

List of Secretaries

#NameTook OfficeLeft Office Governor served under
Bob Ricks 19952003 Frank Keating
20032004 Brad Henry
Kevin L. Ward 20042011
Michael C. Thompson 20112017 Mary Fallin
Billy D. Rhoades III 2017Present

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References

  1. ↑ "Gov. Mary Fallin taps OHP veteran as public safety commissioner". TulsaWorld.com. November 10, 2017. Retrieved 2018-04-16.
  2. ↑ The Cabinet Secretary has no operational authority over the Attorney General. The Secretary serves for liaison purposes between the governor and the Attorney General. The Secretary also oversees the budget and personnel requests for the Attorney General's Office.
  3. ↑ Paragraph 8, Section 10.5, Title 74, Oklahoma Statutes
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