Operation SAFE: Effectiveness and Legality Questioned
Advocates are questioning the effectiveness and legality of Oklahoma's 'Operation SAFE', a large-scale sweep of homeless encampments in Tulsa ordered by Kevin Stitt.
The initiative, launched on April 4, involved the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation conducting sweeps of homeless encampments on state-owned property in Tulsa over a three-week period.
By April 17, Stitt declared the sweep complete, with 64 encampments cleared and nearly two million pounds of "debris" thrown away, although the exact nature of the disposed items was not disclosed.
The government does not have the authority to decide what is garbage and what is a person's property.
Megan Lambert, Legal Director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma, criticized the government's actions, stating that they are aware of confiscating the property of people who are unhoused when engaging in encampment sweeps.
Author's summary: Operation SAFE's effectiveness and legality are under scrutiny.
- 64 encampments were cleared
- Nearly two million pounds of "debris" were thrown away