TULSA, Okla. — Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers are in the midst of carrying out ‘Operation SAFE,’ Gov. Kevin Stitt’s plan to clean up homeless camps within Tulsa on state-owned property.
Tulsa mayor Monroe Nichols says the plan is rushed and ineffective. It all started with a phone call between the governor and the mayor.
WATCH: NICHOLS VS. STITT | Leaders spar over homeless strategies
“I walked away somewhat encouraged,” Mayor Nichols said, “I thought we had a great conversation. The governor left a few things out of that conversation. And I think you can understand why he may have left those out. Because I don't think that … my guess is that he probably would’ve guessed I wouldn’t appreciate it, but I think that if we’re gonna solve problems together, you can’t lie to people on the phone.”
Nichols says Gov. Stitt never mentioned Operation SAFE, adding it has been poorly implemented.
“You create a very tense, and potentially dangerous environment, in a city because you’ve essentially put people in crisis mode, that have already spent some time in crisis mode,” Nichols said.
Lt. Mark Southall of OHP, says troopers have cleaned up 30 camps and encountered hundreds of people.
“We’ve received calls from residents who’ve thanked us for clearing these camps because they’re in their backyards. And we’ve talked to this one particular lady, she’s 65, she lives by herself, and she’s scared to death to go into her backyard. And she constantly has property stolen from her,” Lt. Southall said.
According to the Governor’s office, zero people have been jailed, and only one has agreed to visit a treatment facility.
“I got good days and bad days,” Tiffany Corliss, a homeless Tulsan said.
She said troopers shooed her away from a camp in which she was living.
“It was nerve racking and just so quick and so just untreatable, because they didn’t give us time, a chance, or anything. We lost all our stuff, and we have to start all over again, and it just takes a toll on the body,” Corliss said.
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“[The troopers] did give us resources like shelters, and stuff, but what if we’re banned from shelters? You can’t get into the shelters and stuff. What else is there we can do?” Corliss asked.
Corliss said she is banned from one facility.
“I’m banned from the Day Center. For one bad mistake I made … and I wish I could take it back,” Corliss said.
Nichols, wrapping up his remarks, said Stitt is motivated by politics, all but predicting a presidential run for Stitt.
“I think the best way to maybe go to Iowa as a presidential candidate, is not to talk about how you stuck it to the Democratic Mayor of Tulsa, but to talk about how you got your state out of the bottom of every list that’s out there,” Nichols said.
Abegail Cave, a spokeswoman for the governor, sent 2 News Oklahoma a statement.
“This is a classic effort to deflect blame for a problem that has been brewing in Tulsa for far too long. Mayor Nichols ignored the requests from Tulsa residents to address this problem in a timely manner, and the governor was forced to step in. The safety and well being of Oklahomans is not a political issue,” Cave said.
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