Grda

[dbestfirefighter]

Heres a question for all you N.E. guys. In a recent trip to Grand Lake I was scanning and noticed that GRDA has its own cleet certified peace officers. Whats with that? Im trying to understand why a Public utility company has its own police force, why not have the utility company just pump some money into the state for added OHP lake patrol units kinda like what the Turnpike authority did. You didnt see them establishing there own police force to regulate the turnpikes. I guess im just kinda of sick of seeing law enforcement pop up for none goverment entites im just kinda of old fashion that way, I think there should be Federal, State, County , City NOT Universty, Hospital, Public Utility, and any other business that feels the need to have its own police force. Just venting thanks for reading my post

 

[pfish]

Maybe they are police officers working off-duty security?

 

[dbestfirefighter]

Nope, you dont understand. They have a whole department cars,boats,helicopters.

 

[greenthumb]

Most, if not all, of the railroad companies have their own police force.

 

[CommShrek]

The post office has it's own police force.

LOL.

I figured I'd throw that out there like the other comments.

 

[car2back]

the Tulsa Internationl Airport has their own PD too, don't they?

I agree, it is wierd!

 

[okla-lawman]

Grand River Dam Authority gets it LEO powers from the Feds. There are many examples of that as they are operated in the Public Interest. The railroads are probably the best known example. Others include the Postal Inspectors, Tenn. Valley Authority, The Federal reserve bank police, so forth.

Phi Yes Tia has it own pd. It was made under the special police act. Will Rogers used to have its own too but it folded. Both Tulsa Housing authority and Oklahoma City Housing are or have tried to start there own Pd's without resuts. I heard that TU is currently trying.

 

[xxxsandman]

GRDA is a big utility, with several facilities (3 dams, a coal fire plant, and several large sub stations, and line crew facilities). They would need their own "police force" of security officers if they didn't actually have their own police force. GRDA Lake Patrol, as they are called, actually takes a big burden off local law enforcement by having all the specialized equipment and man power to patrol their lakes and areas surrounding any facilities they have. This includes a fleet of boats, trucks, and helicopters. They patrol a HUGE area, much bigger then any one county in Oklahoma. Their authority is pretty much the same as the OHP in any county they have ANY facilities, including power lines. They have to follow the same guidelines any officier has to and are required to have the same cleet training, etc. Any tickets they write goes to county court they was written in, just like OHP.

I personally like the idea of GRDA paying the cost to police their land and facilities using thier own police force, instead of putting the bill and burden on the tax payers. I've even heard them providing mutual aid to local law enforcement on wrecks, etc. In fact a GRDA Lake Patrolman was first on scene when I had my motorcycle wreck!

I live in NE Oklahoma, own a boat, and regularly see them. They have never caused me any problems, but I hear they are very strict on boat safety. Good for them, someone drowns every year on one of their lakes, so they have good reason.

 

[dbestfirefighter]

Why didnt they just pump that money into the OHP instead of creating whole another department and creating jurisdictional headaches. This is what the turnpike authority did! Dont get me wrong Im pro Police but lets keepem in a goverment and not in a business

 

[grack]

I wonder what would happen if they just gave OHP money. Would it get troopers dedicated to authority work or would there be some troopers on regular patrol that just check the authority stuff occasionally.

I'm not real crazy about non government law enforcement, but hey if the indians can have them, anyone should be able to.

 

[dbestfirefighter]

I have a friend that is a turnpike unit for OHP he is dedicated to the turnpike and only the turnpike. I asked what if something is going on in the county that the turnpike runs through he said only if something major is happening like Officers safety issue or something, but he quick to say his paycheck is funded through the turnpike authority so... he is to stay on the turnpike.

 

[car2back]

I have a friend that is a turnpike unit for OHP he is dedicated to the turnpike and only the turnpike. I asked what if something is going on in the county that the turnpike runs through he said only if something major is happening like Officers safety issue or something, but he quick to say his paycheck is funded through the turnpike authority so... he is to stay on the turnpike.

we've had a Troop YB units come off the Turner to back units before, but like you said it's only for fairly major stuff.

the sticky situation is County units on the Turnpikes.... The turnpike is in the county right? so does that mean they can stop someone? depends who you ask...

I am sure PJ can back me on this!

 

[okla-lawman]

Why not give it to OHP...Cause by state law they are only allowed to work traffic except on toll roads. Years back they could not even work traffic if it was not a state highway. Try as they might Ohp is not a State police. I know they have expanded into area such as drug intediction, drivers license fraud ..etc but they are not a state police.

Anytime toy have such specialization as required by the duties other than le that jobs like GRDA do it is better to do in house. Can you imagine training OHP for months on GRDA only to have them transferred to Guymond?

 

[okla-lawman]

Phil the issue of law enforcement on Turnpikes is in court now. Several agencies did a drug interdiction on one of the turnpikes and Ohp had a cow. the da's involved are pursuing it in court, Ohp claims that it is private property. Of course if that is the case the onlt ticket the could write is reckless or dui....hmm kind of interesting.

 

[freqscout]

Can't even write reckless anymore on private property...that was passed down recently.

There is a state statute that specifically states that OHP has the exclusive right and authority to conduct traffic stops on the turnpike. They can appoint others to do that as well but that has to be done by the approval of their command and probably legislation. Now you can still enforce criminal law on the turnpike (ie a murder, domestic, etc) and not be a trooper but it better not all originate from a traffic stop.

I guess the exceptions are when OHP gets a call and specifically requests for a unit to stop the vehicle or something like that because then you get into mutual aid types of scenarios. You will hear OHP come over Hefner air in OKC and request help often but I have never heard of them asking someone to conduct a traffic stop on the turnpike.

I have rarely heard turnpike guys jumping off of there to take calls for service unless it as something big too.

Now OHP lake guys are pretty serious about their job. They have a VERY rigorous course that they do to be lake certified so they are proud of that. I am sure that as far as Grand Lake goes they are more than happy to take over the lake. They are just as serious about lake stuff as anyone else I have ever heard of. Which TRS site are the lake troopers on/or what frequency by the way?

 

[xxxsandman]

GRDA is private property. The lakes are owned by GRDA. If they didn't have their own police force, they would have their own army of armed security to protect their property. I don't think all the highly trained OHP super troopers would like to do the security type work that the current GRDA Lake Patrol handles in addition the the lake patrolling.

I'm happy with GRDA having their own Law Enforcement, they pay for it, not me. They do a good job from what I've seen and GRDA would have armed security types no matter who was patrolling the lakes, so why not better utilize their assests and money.

I think this whole issue with who patrols the lakes came up a while back. From what I understand GRDA owns the water in Fort Gibson Lake also or something to that effect. But OHP patrols that lake. I believe GRDA was considering patrolling that lake also, but OHP didn't want it to happen because they was getting federal money "grants ?" for patrolling the lake. I guess they was getting more money then they was spending on patrolling the lake and didn't want to loose it.

Since we are asking why. Why is there Cherokee Marhsalls? And why are they doing traffic stops on state highways, that have nothing to do with Indian land? I understand GRDA's needs and reasons for them to have their own Law Enforecement, but I really never understood the Cherokee Marshals and what their purpose is. And don't get me started on Indian Casinos, Smoke Shops, and all the other BS. Equal rights, ya right.......

 

[n5bew1]

Well gang as far as Indians having police. It is like this If you visited Canada would you be miffed if the Canadians had a police force. Think about it.

 

[okla-lawman]

Cherokee marshall's are reponsible for law enforecement on the 770,000 acres that are a part of their soverign nation which means only they and the feds have juridiction on. They are responible for enforcement of tribal and federal law. Cherokee Marshalls are in fact cross deputised with every sherriff's office they have juridicition in except Tulsa County.
They have there own courts for tribal members. Non tribal members can either be charged with state felonies or federal offenses.
No I am not an indian nor affiliated with teh Cherokee nation. I am preparing a class right and it deals with indian policing. The above info is from one of their Attorney Generals and one of their Patrol Supervisors. The people you see in the casinos are infact either security officers ir are Reserve Marshalls but are not Full marshalls. It ehy have a problem they euther contact a Marshall or like in Catoosa the local PD as they are cross deputised.

 

[grack]

Well gang as far as Indians having police. It is like this If you visited Canada would you be miffed if the Canadians had a police force. Think about it.

So what you are saying is that they are foreign citizens in a foreign nation?

I've never undestood this two nation thing. Are you part of the American Nation or an Indian Nation? Is there dual citizenship?

I'm very confused on all of this.

 

[GlacierClipper]

Dual Citizenship is explained here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_citizenship