Budget & Tax
Curtis Shelton | January 24, 2025
A look at Oklahoma public safety spending
Curtis Shelton
As our series on Oklahoma’s 10 largest state agencies continues, we come to the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety. As a reminder, the 10 largest agencies are:
- Department of Education
- Oklahoma Health Care Authority
- Regents for Higher Education
- Department of Transportation
- Department of Human Services
- Department of Corrections
- Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
- Department of Career and Technology Education
- Department of Public Safety
- Office of Management and Enterprise Services
The Department of Public Safety, whose most well-known program is the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, has seen a slight increase in appropriations (adjusted for inflation) since 2003. Over the last two decades, the department has grown by 13 percent, a $14 million increase. Looking at the long-term trend, funding for the department has been mostly flat with small ups and downs through the years.
Sources: Oklahoma Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports; Oklahoma House of Representatives Fiscal Summary; SB1125 Fiscal Summary; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI Inflation Calculator
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Curtis Shelton
Policy Research Fellow