Saying Tulsa leadership is failing city residents, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced he is deploying state law enforcement to clear homeless encampments from state-owned property inside Tulsa and reduce the city’s growing crime problem.

“Tulsa is a beautiful city. I lived there for years. But today everybody can see the disaster it’s turning into—homeless people on every corner, trash piling up, and Oklahoma families are being forced to live in fear,” Stitt said. “This is the city’s job, but Mayor (Monroe) Nichols and Tulsa leadership haven’t met the level of action needed to keep neighborhoods safe. Oklahoma is going to step in to do our part and clean it up. Once we’ve done so, it’ll be on the City to keep Tulsa clean and safe. If they refuse, then we’ll be forced to take further action to protect Tulsans.”

Stitt said Operation SAFE (Swift Action for Families Everywhere) will deploy troopers from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol to restore order and safety to Tulsa by clearing homeless encampments, trash, and criminal activity from state-owned property inside the city.

A release issued by Stitt’s office said the Highway Patrol has the legal authority to target state-owned property including underpasses, highways, state buildings, and other state-controlled land.

Stitt said he has had numerous conversations with Nichols in recent weeks urging the city to gain control of the situation, but progress has fallen short of Tulsa residents’ expectations.

As part of the Operation SAFE announcement, Stitt released a video, comprised of numerous clips from local TV news broadcasts, focused on the growing crime problem in Tulsa.

The first clip of the video begins: “Investigators say at least five people were shot, but there may be more victims.” The video then repeatedly notes that downtown Tulsa businesses have been calling for local officials to address growing crime problems.

Bill Knight, the chair of the Tulsa Regional Chamber of Commerce, voiced support for the governor’s action in a press release.

“Tulsa’s business community supports leadership that prioritizes the safety of those who live and work within our city and region,” Knight said. “We appreciate the governor’s actions to enforce the laws and bolster Tulsa’s pursuit to enhance quality of life. This initiative complements the ongoing efforts by various Tulsa entities, reinforcing our collective commitment to addressing complex issues like homelessness and public safety.”

The immediate response from many Tulsans on X was to praise Stitt’s action.

One poster, Deni Moore, wrote, “Tulsa is a nightmare! Absolutely do not feel safe in Tulsa …”

Another post, from Jason Pittman, stated, “This used to be a nice place to live but the last and current mayor have turned it into a dumpster fire.”

The governor’s office said Oklahoma Highway Patrol officers have already begun issuing warnings to homeless individuals and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) is now posting notices at encampments ordering homeless individuals to vacate and cease occupation, in accordance with state law.

ODOT will also lead remediation, clearing, and clean-up efforts.

If the Oklahoma Highway Patrol encounters illegal immigrants during the operation, Stitt said those individuals will be turned over to federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation proceedings.

Under the governor’s direction, state troopers will offer other homeless individuals two clear options:

1. A ride to a treatment or housing facility.
2. A ride to jail to face prosecution if they refuse help and continue breaking the law.

Nichols, a Democrat, has drawn much criticism for his handling of public safety in Tulsa during his short tenure as mayor, which began on Dec. 2, 2024.

Recently, Nichols announced that he has signed an agreement with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, whose historic reservation lines include much of Tulsa, promising that Tulsa police and municipal courts will no longer pursue charges against any alleged criminal who is a member of any of the more than 500 American Indian tribes in the United States. Under the agreement, Nichols also promised to dismiss all pending prosecutions against American Indian defendants in Tulsa’s municipal court system.

Under the agreement, the arrest or prosecution of any American Indian criminal in Tulsa will be left up to Muscogee (Creek) officials. In practice, the agreement is expected to result in far fewer arrests and prosecutions, and the penalties for those American Indian criminals who are prosecuted are expected to be far less severe than the penatlies facing non-Indian criminals who commit the same crime in Tulsa.

The plan drew strong condemnation from state law enforcement officials, who warned that Nichols’ agreement was “a grave threat to public safety for all Oklahomans.”

In 2020, while he was a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, Nichols called for the creation of a new state entity to investigate complaints against local police and a citizens’ panel to review law-enforcement standards. Democrats described the proposed legislation  as part of an effort to combat "systemic" racism.

Democrats stressed those proposals are just a starting point for legal changes that will be sought in response to complaints of “systemic” racism, and predicted House Republicans will support many of their proposals.

As of publication, Nichols had not issued a formal response on either the city website or any of its social media pages to Stitt’s launch of Operation SAFE.