Like the residents and motorists it is obligated to serve and protect, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol also is concerned about rising gasoline prices, a patrol spokeswoman said.
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"We are hoping that the gas prices not only stop their upward climb, but steadily will decrease and soon,” trooper Betsy Randolph said.
Still, motorists shouldn't worry that the patrol's level of protection and service will decrease, she said.
Public Safety Commissioner Kevin Ward said the patrol hasn't changed its policies or issued guidelines concerning the financial strain gasoline prices have caused.
"We have emphasized to personnel to conserve fuel whenever possible and have informed personnel that we have nearly exhausted all possible financial resources to pay for the increased fuel costs,” Ward said. "We have discussed actions like mileage restrictions and doubling personnel in cars as examples of possible ways that could reduce fuel costs. No decisions have been made regarding which programs or steps we could engage because of increased fuel costs.”
Staff Writer Brian Sargent
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They should just dock their lake patrol boat at Eufaula because they never seem to be doing anything anyways. I see people tear through no wake zones and kids on PWCs cutting in and out of areas in a dangerous manner and I have yet to see a lake patrol pull on boat over in the 10+ years I have been going out there. Pathetic!!!
I don't know. I have noticed a diminished presence of troopers on roving patrol on interstate highways for the past several months. The turnpike units are sitting a lot at the mainlines and ancillary gates. They can enforce the "toll zones" and seatbelt laws at the same time. Then they are using the air units more often because they can concentrate ground units and mainly burn av gas. They are driving less miles from what I can see in my frequent interstate travel. But it is not limited to Oklahoma. Texas is hurting because the bulk of their state income is tied to property taxes. They have no state income tax and no taxes on groceries. With the failure of so many home owners, many have let their mortgages go and that usually means the taxes are unpaid. I think the OHP went the wrong way on their choice of vehicles. The Excursions and Expeditions they drive waste a lot of fuel. I know that the lake patrol units need something heavy to pull patrol boats, but the weights and measure guys don't need them. Those guys could haul portable scales in a smaller SUV. By the way, has anyone noticed a failure of the Oklahoma City 9-1-1 system on Sunday night? I tried to turn in a car that was sending sparks onto I-44 near MLK and it was busy for 10 minutes. I then heard they had a computer outage.
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Leave a comment. Log in below or sign up (it's free).Editor's note: It is not our intent to offer comments on crime or fatality stories.