Cleveland County plans to hire two sheriff’s deputies to patrol in and around state-owned property in downtown Norman and connect people experiencing homelessness with services, supported by a $171,456 allocation approved by county commissioners.
Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman, and Cleveland County Commissioner Jacob McHughes announced the plan Tuesday, Oct. 20, according to a joint release from the Oklahoma Senate. The idea grew out of a multi-agency meeting Standridge organized that included Rep. Jonathan Wilk and other county and state officials.
The money comes from the County Community Safety Investment Fund, created after voters passed State Question 781 in 2016. That measure redirects savings from reduced incarceration to county diversion programs. The allocation will cover salaries, benefits and part of the cost of an additional patrol vehicle, according to the release.
The deputies will patrol downtown, respond to public safety calls and connect people experiencing homelessness with services from nonprofits, churches, veteran programs and tribal assistance, the release stated. The Cleveland County Sheriff's Office will file required reports with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services under the SQ 781 funding rules.
"We approved this funding after months of listening to concerned constituents," McHughes said, as reported by OKC Fox. "While hiring for these roles is still in the early stages, I have no doubt Sheriff Weaver will hire deputies who are trained for this specific role."
Standridge said in the release that the patrol, paired with outreach partners, would show compassion for people who want help while protecting public safety. She said Norman and Cleveland County residents deserve safe neighborhoods and public spaces.
The announcement comes after repeated efforts to address a homeless encampment on state-owned land near Food & Shelter in the 200 block of Reed Avenue. In August, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol cleared the site as part of Gov. Kevin Stitt's Operation SAFE, displacing 120 people, OKC Fox reported. Seventeen people were later arrested after returning to the property, according to the Norman Transcript.
It was the second Operation SAFE mission at that location. The first took place in May, according to a separate Transcript report.
No timeline has been announced for when the two deputies will begin patrols.
