This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
Guardians o The Oklahoma Highway Patrol celebrate


By E. C. Carson


n Sept. 19, 2003, Shannon Smith was kidnapped and shoved into a trunk by an on-the-run sex offender. The odds of fi nd- ing and safely rescuing Smith decreased every minute her ab- ductor sped further down highways and back roads near Elk City. Multiple law enforcement agencies collaborated in the search for Smith, but ultimately the ingenuity, resources and training of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) engineered her timely recovery.


O


“I don’t have the right words or enough words to express my gratitude,” Smith said during a recent interview with Oklahoma Living (see sidebar for Smith’s full story). “I was very lucky that they found me so quickly. I might not be here if it weren’t for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.” Most citizens will never experience fi rsthand the heroism of the OHP. The aver- age person’s interaction is usually limited to seeing the department’s trademark black-and-white patrol cars on the highway, and in some cases, earning a speed- ing ticket. While this is the most visible element of the OHP operation, speeding tickets are usually the smallest and least dangerous part of the job. OHP troopers are often one of few law enforcement elements in rural areas. They travel endless stretches of highway through adverse weather—usually alone. And, more often than not, they are the fi rst to reach an accident scene or respond to an emergency call on Oklahoma’s 112,766 miles of highway, interstate and country roads.


Today, 759 troopers patrol Oklahoma’s land, air and waterways, racking up a combined 15 million miles of travel. They provide protection for the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, and conduct specialized services, offering the Sooner State a trained bomb squad, tactical teams, and special operations, among many others.


“We live by a set of core values: loyalty, honesty, respect, professionalism, in- tegrity and self-discipline,” said Chief of Patrol Kerry Pettingill, 53, who has been with OHP for 30 years. “It’s not easy being a state trooper. Whether you are in uniform or in shorts at a ballgame, you are always on duty. Everyone knows you’re their trooper.”


Like several of Oklahoma’s electric cooperatives, the OHP will celebrate its 75th Anniversary in 2012. Pettingill said the year’s festivities will be highlighted by the


An OHP mobile headquarters used in early 1940s with some of the Flying Squadron troopers.


14 OKLAHOMA LIVING


A “Flying Squadron” trooper stands by an OHP Harley in the late 1930s.


Photos courtesy of Okllahoma Highway Patrol


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138