Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security

Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security
Great Seal of Oklahoma
Agency overview
Formed	June 6, 1986
Headquarters	3600 N Martin Luther King Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Employees	9,764 (FY2011)
Annual budget	$1.2 billion (FY2011)
Minister responsible	Michael C. Thompson, Secretary of Safety and Security
Child agencies	Oklahoma Department of Public Safety Oklahoma Department of Corrections Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics
Website
Office of the Secretary of Safety and Security

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.

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 1986. 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 Safety. 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 justice 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.

Agencies Overseen

The Secretary of Safety and Security oversees the following State entities:

Seal	Agency	Function
	Office of the Attorney General[1]	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	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	Enforces State drug laws
	Department of Corrections	Manages State prison system
	Department of Emergency Management	Oversees State response to natural disasters
	Department of Public Safety	Enforces State traffic laws and provides general law enforcement State-wide
	Highway Patrol	Enforces State traffic laws and provides general law enforcement State-wide
	Highway Safety Office	Promotes traffic safety
	Office of Homeland Security	Oversees State response to acts of terrorism
	District Attorneys Council	Prosecutes violations of criminal laws
	Indigent Defense System	Provides legal representation for indigent defenders
	Office of the Chief Medical Examiner	Investigates suspicous deaths
	Office of State Fire Marshal	Investigates arsons and enforces building code law
	Pardon and Parole Board	Reviews requests for clemency from the Governor of Oklahoma
	State Bureau of Investigation	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.^[2] 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 served under
	Bob Ricks	1995	2003	Frank Keating
		2003	2004	Brad Henry
	Kevin L. Ward	2004	2011
	Michael C. Thompson	2011	Present	Mary Fallin

References

1. ^ The Cabinet Secretary has no operational authority over the Attorney General. The Secretary serves for liaison purposes between the Governor and the Attorney General. The Secretary also oversees the budget and personnel requests for the Attorney General's Office.
2. ^ Paragraph 8, Section 10.5, Title 74, Oklahoma Statutes

External links

• Oklahoma Homeland Security Director Named, Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security, 1-20-04