Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security
Encyclopedia
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
.
The second and current Secretary is Michael C. Thompson, who was appointed by Governor Mary Fallin
in 2011.
. 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.
. As of 2011, all Secretaries of Safety and Security have served in that dual position.
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.
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.
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.
Oklahoma Senate
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....
, to serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Secretary serves as the chief advisor to the Governor on public safety
Public Safety
Public safety involves the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety of the general public from significant danger, injury/harm, or damage, such as crimes or disasters .-See also:* By nation...
and criminal justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
.
The second and current Secretary is Michael C. Thompson, who was appointed by Governor Mary Fallin
Mary Fallin
Mary Fallin is the 27th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. She was a U.S. Representative for from 2007 until 2011....
in 2011.
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 1986Executive 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 departments, agencies, boards, commissions and other entities of the state's executive branch into a cabinet system.The Executive Branch Reform Act was signed into law by...
. 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.
Dual Position
Oklahoma state law always 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 SafetyOklahoma Department of Public Safety
The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety 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...
. As of 2011, all Secretaries of Safety and Security have served in that dual position.
Responsibilities
The Secretary of Safety and Security is responsible for overseeing State police services, criminal investigations, criminal justiceCriminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
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
Homeland security
Homeland security is an umbrella term for security efforts to protect states against terrorist activity. Specifically, is a concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the U.S., reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do...
, emergency management
Emergency management
Emergency management is the generic name of an interdisciplinary field dealing with the strategic organizational management processes used to protect critical assets of an organization from hazard risks that can cause events like disasters or catastrophes and to ensure the continuance of the...
and law enforcement training are also overseen by the Secretary.
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
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government, part of the Department of Transportation...
for the purposes of promoting highway safety.
As of fiscal year 2011
2011 Oklahoma state budget
The Oklahoma State Budget for Fiscal Year 2011, is a spending request by Governor Brad Henry to fund government operations for July 1, 2010–June 30, 2011. Governor Henry and legislative leader approved the budget in May 2010...
, 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:| Seal | Agency | Function |
|---|---|---|
| |Office of the Attorney General Attorney General of Oklahoma The Attorney General of Oklahoma is the State Attorney General for the state of Oklahoma. The Attorney General serves as the chief legal and law enforcement officer of the State of Oklahoma. The Attorney General is responsible for providing legal advise to the various agencies and departments of... |
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 Oklahoma Council on Firefighter Training The Council on Firefighting Training is an agency of the state of Oklahoma which supports Oklahoma's state, county and local fire protection agencies by providing education and training. The Oklahoma State Fire Marshal serves as staff to the Council.... |
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 Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control , often shortened to Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics is an agency of the government of Oklahoma charged with minimizing the abuse of controlled substances through law enforcement measures directed primarily at drug trafficking, illicit drug... |
Enforces State drug laws | |
| Department of Corrections Oklahoma Department of Corrections The Oklahoma Department of Corrections is an agency of the state of Oklahoma. DOC is responsible for the administration of the state prison system. It has its headquarters in Oklahoma City, in the former Mabel Bassett Correctional Center building.The Department of Corrections is governed by the... |
Manages State prison system | |
| |Department of Emergency Management Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management is a department of the government of Oklahoma responsible for coordinating the response to a natural disaster that has occurred in the State and that has overwhelmed the abilities of local authorities. This is achieved primarily through the... |
Oversees State response to natural disasters | |
| |Department of Public Safety Oklahoma Department of Public Safety The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety 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... |
Enforces State traffic laws and provides general law enforcement State-wide | |
| |Highway Patrol Oklahoma Highway Patrol The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is a major state law enforcement agency of the government of Oklahoma. It is a division of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol was legislatively created in 1937 due to the growing problem of motor vehicle accidents, the expansion of a... |
Enforces State traffic laws and provides general law enforcement State-wide | |
| |Highway Safety Office Oklahoma Highway Safety Office The Oklahoma Highway Safety Office is an agency of the government of Oklahoma responsible for promoting highway safety. OHSO is responsible for developing an annual statewide Highway Safety Plan to decrease fatalities and injuries on Oklahoma roadways... |
Promotes traffic safety | |
| Office of Homeland Security Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security The Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security is an agency of State of Oklahoma that is responsible for reducing the State's vulnerability to acts of terrorism and for minimizing and recovering the damage caused by terrorist attacks... |
Oversees State response to acts of terrorism Terrorism Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition... |
|
| District Attorneys Council Oklahoma District Attorneys Council The Oklahoma District Attorneys Council is an agency of the state of Oklahoma that provides professional organization for the education, training and coordination of technical efforts of all Oklahoma state prosecutors and to maintain and improve prosecutor efficiency and effectiveness in enforcing... |
Prosecutes violations of criminal laws | |
| Indigent Defense System Oklahoma Indigent Defense System The Oklahoma Indigent Defense System is the system in Oklahoma that provides trial, appellate, and post-conviction criminal defense services to persons judicially determined to be entitled to legal counsel at expense to the state... |
Provides legal representation for indigent defenders | |
| Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Oklahoma Chief Medical Examiner The Oklahoma Chief Medical Examiner is the Oklahoma state official responsible for investigating sudden, unexpected, violent or suspicious deaths and determining the cause of death. The Chief Medical Examiner provides toxicological and pathological services to aid in the investigation of any death... |
Investigates suspicous deaths | |
| |Office of State Fire Marshal Oklahoma State Fire Marshal The Oklahoma State Fire Marshal is the chief firefighter of the state of Oklahoma. The State Fire Marshal oversees the operation of the Office of the State Fire Marshal, which is a law enforcement agency of the state... |
Investigates arsons and enforces building code law | |
| Pardon and Parole Board Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board is the parole board of the state of Oklahoma. The Board was created by an amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution in 1944... |
Reviews requests for clemency from the Governor of Oklahoma Governor of Oklahoma The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma... |
|
| |State Bureau of Investigation Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is an independent state law enforcement agency of the government of Oklahoma. The OSBI assists the city police departments of the state and is the primary investigative agency of the state government... |
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. Despite this law, if the Secretary serves as the head of State agency, the Secretary receives the higher of the two salaries. Since incumbent Secretary Kevin Ward also serves 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
| # | Name | Took Office | Left Office | Governor Governor of Oklahoma The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma... served under |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Ricks Bob Ricks Robert A. "Bob" Ricks is an American law enforcement professional from Texas and Oklahoma. Ricks has worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Governor of Oklahoma and in local law enforcement... |
1995 | 2003 | Frank Keating Frank Keating Francis Anthony "Frank" Keating is an American politician from Oklahoma. Keating served as the 25th Governor of Oklahoma. His first term began in 1995 and ended in 1999... |
|
| 2003 | 2004 | Brad Henry Brad Henry Charles Bradford "Brad" Henry was the 26th Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected governor in 2002... |
||
| Kevin L. Ward | 2004 | 2011 | ||
| Michael C. Thompson | 2011 | Present | Mary Fallin Mary Fallin Mary Fallin is the 27th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. She was a U.S. Representative for from 2007 until 2011.... |
External links
- Oklahoma Homeland Security Director Named, Oklahoma Office of Homeland SecurityOklahoma Office of Homeland SecurityThe Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security is an agency of State of Oklahoma that is responsible for reducing the State's vulnerability to acts of terrorism and for minimizing and recovering the damage caused by terrorist attacks...
, 1-20-04