The Senate approved a pair of law enforcement bills to streamline services and improve training, while also providing better mental health support for Oklahoma’s public safety personnel.

The measures, authored by Sen. Kim David, R-Porter, were recommended by the Unified State Law Enforcement Commission, which is made up of the state’s top public safety officials, including the Department of Public Safety (DPS) Commissioner, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) Director, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control (OBNDDC) Director, the Cabinet Secretary of Public Safety, and the state Attorney General, along with an appointee of the governor, the Senate Pro Tem and the House Speaker. The commission was created last session.

Senate Bill 1612, the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety Unification Act, would consolidate the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP), Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) and Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control (OBNDDC) under the Department of Public Safety (DPS) in 2023.

SB 1613 directs DPS to establish the Mental Wellness Division to provide mental health services and programs to public safety personnel and their families. The bill would authorize the division to enter into public/private partnerships for services.

An interim study in 2020 with law enforcement officers from agencies around the state pointed out that public safety officers and other first responders suffer from much higher rates of PTSD, suicide, divorce, depression, and addiction than the public.

According to the Ruderman Foundation, 35% of officers have PTSD and 31% suffer from depression while only 7% of the public experience either. A 2018 National Fraternal Order of Police study found that more than 16% of officers have had suicidal thoughts, over 65% have sleep problems or disorders and nearly 61% have intrusive or unwanted memories, including images, sounds and smells from the traumas they have witnessed. The study also found that more than 52% of officers have or are facing relationship problems.

Over 90% report stigma keeps them from seeking treatment and also they believe the public lacks awareness of the critical stress in their profession.