The Thin Blue Line: Lighthorse Police

 

Flag of the Cherokee Nation
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

  
By Alanna Radle Rodriguez and Judge Rodriguez



Thank you for joining us this month as we conclude our series about first responders in our great state.

First allow us to say: we wish to pay our respects to the brave men and women of our military, and let them know our thoughts and prayers are with them, particularly those currently on deployment outside our country and away from their families.

However, we also wish to add our gratitude to those that serve outside of our military forces as well. Also called The Thin Blue Line, this group of dedicated public servants serve to keep us, our families, and our property safe. Our hats are off to you, and our gratitude for all you do.

Over the last few months, we have been delving into the history of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and of the various police departments here in this great state. This month, we look into the history of the Lighthorse Police. This is a group that, historically speaking, is quite rich and diverse.

The term “Lighthorse Police” covers both an actual department and units within the different departments located in each of the “5 Civilized Tribes”. The first of the Lighthorse police was created in Georgia, during the late 18th century by the Cherokee tribe. They were named after the unit commanded by Colonel Harry “Lighthorse” Lee during the American Revolution. His unit was called the Lighthorse due to the speed and maneuverability in which they moved. An interesting tidbit, Col. Lee was actually the uncle to Robert E. Lee.

 

Col. Henry Lee, Lighthorse Unit Commander
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

The Cherokee Lighthorse were tasked with keeping tribal laws. After the ratification of the Constitution, the Cherokee were given provenance in keeping their own laws. Many of these laws were identical to the laws of the US, including, rape, murder and theft.

During the War Between the States (WBTS), the Lighthorse became the backbone of the cavalry inside the army. They were, also, tasked with keeping the peace inside their respective nation, during the war as well. This created conflict inside the tribe as well, especially when approximately half of the tribe went to the north after the schism in 1862.

After the WBTS, the tribesmen went back to their homes and continued on, as if little had happened, as though the conflicts continued inside the tribe, which led to needing the Lighthorse be kept as a stronger form of peacekeeping force.

Each of the “Five Civilized Tribes” has historically had their own Lighthorse as their own independent police force. That is, until they lost their reservation lands in the late 1880’s. Even now, most of the tribes still have “Lighthorse” as part of their internal police forces. The “Lighthorse” groups of the different tribes are considered to be an elite part of the tribal police, much like SWAT is in most other departments, in that they have specialized training and weapons they utilize.

Thank you for visiting us this month as we wrap up our venture into the history of the different law enforcement agencies in this great state of Oklahoma. If you have further questions about any of these agencies, then we invite you to contact them through different means, either Facebook, telephone, or their different websites. Join us next month as we look at the historical facts behind the seven different land runs that occurred in our great state, Oklahoma.

Born and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, Alanna Radle Rodriguez is the great-great granddaughter of one of the first pioneers to settle in Indian Territory. Judge was born and raised in Little Axe, Oklahoma, the son of A.F. Veterans. Judge and Alanna love the history of the state and relish in volunteering at the 1889 Territorial Schoolhouse in Edmond. Her second and third published story, part of a collaborative novella titled 18 Redbud Lane, came out March 2019. Alanna and Judge live with her parents in the Edmond area. They are currently collaborating on a historical fiction series that takes place in pre-statehood Oklahoma.

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The Thin Blue Line: Lawton Police Department Pt 2

 

The Thin Blue Line
Wikimedia Commons, https://goo.gl/images/EYDtZS

By Alanna Radle Rodriguez and Judge Rodriguez


Thank you for joining us this month as we continue our series about first responders in our great state, Oklahoma.


First, allow us to say: we wish to pay our respects to the brave men and women of our military, and let them know our thoughts and prayers are with them, particularly those currently on deployment outside our country and away from their families.


However, we also wish to add our gratitude to those that serve outside of our military forces as well. Also called The Thin Blue Line, this group of dedicated public servants serve to keep us, our families, and our property safe. Our hats are off to you, and our gratitude for all you do.

Over the last few months, we have been delving into the history of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and of the various police departments here in this great state. This month, we continue our look into the history of the Lawton, Oklahoma Police Department.

Last month, we ended with describing how former U.S. Marshall Heck Thomas was recruited to be a police chief and how he was able to get the police department whipped into shape. Heck was most notable for having captured Bill Doolin of the Doolin Dalton Gang. He served as the first chief of police for seven years, until his failing health required him to resign the position. He died in 1912 of Bright’s Disease, called by today’s terminology Acute Chronic Nephritis.

Throughout the history of the town, Military Police out of Fort Sill have assisted with some of the operations of the Lawton Police Department. They were also the ones that were in charge of training the new officers until 1965, when the Police Department started training their own officers.
In 1992, the Chief of Police voluntarily resigned after a dispute over a lawsuit that the city settled, about overtime. The original police force consisted of twenty eight officers, and a chief. Now the force employs one hundred seventy-eight officers and sixty-five civilians.
Thank you for being with us this month as we wrapped up our look into the Lawton Police Department. Please join us next month as we look into the history of the Light Horse Police in Oklahoma.






Born and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, Alanna Radle Rodriguez is the great-great granddaughter of one of the first pioneers to settle in Indian Territory. Judge was born and raised in Little Axe, Oklahoma, the son of A.F. Veterans. Judge and Alanna love the history of the state and relish in volunteering at the 1889 Territorial Schoolhouse in Edmond. Her first published story, part of a collaborative novella titled Legacy Letters, came out September 2016. Alanna and Judge live with her parents in the Edmond area. They are currently collaborating on a historical fiction series that takes place in pre-statehood Oklahoma.

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The Thin Blue Line: Lawton Police Department Pt 1

 

The Thin Blue Line
Wikimedia Commons, https://goo.gl/images/EYDtZS

By Alanna Radle Rodriguez and Judge Rodriguez


Hello Friends!

Thank you for joining us this month as we continue our series about first responders in our great state.

First allow us to say: we wish to pay our respects to the brave men and women of our military, and let them know our thoughts and prayers are with them, particularly those currently on deployment outside our country and away from their families.

However, we also wish to add our gratitude to those that serve outside of our military forces as well. Also called the Thin Blue Line, this group of dedicated public servants serve to keep us, our families, and our property safe. Our hats are off to you, and our gratitude for all you do.

Over the last few months, we have been delving into the history of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and of the various police departments here in this great state. This month, we look into the history of the Lawton, Oklahoma Police Department.

One would assume that the beginning of a law enforcement agency would begin with the town. However, in this case, that would be mildly incorrect. With the formation of Fort Sill on the eastern side of the Wichita Mountains, in 1869, there began a police force in the area. The U.S. Army Cavalry served as military and law enforcement for the at-times fractious Chiricahua Apache Native Americans in the area.

However, it was August 6th, 1901, that the land lottery in the Wichita mountain region, as well as the area that was surrounding Fort Reno, occurred. Within a day, the town of Lawton cropped up. With the formation of the town, it was decided they needed a police force, in particular due to the existence of Fort Sill so close.

They gathered their first police officers from former members of the detachment there at Fort Sill. Within one year, Lawton had become quite the boom-town. There were more than one hundred saloons, as gambling was still legal. The first Chief Of Police in Lawton was Heck Thomas, former U.S. Marshall for the Oklahoma Territory. Heck was recruited by the city to come in and calm things down in 1902. He was the one that was attributed with capturing Bill Doolin, of the Doolin-Dalton gang. Heck retained the position of Chief of Police for seven years, before health issues forced him into retirement.

It wasn’t until statehood that gambling became illegal in Lawton. Once the ordinances went into effect, however, the violence finally started to die down.

We hope you enjoyed reading about the Lawton Police Department, and join us next month, as we wrap up the history of this great and historic institution, and its effects on our great state’s history.

Born and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, Alanna Radle Rodriguez is the great-great granddaughter of one of the first pioneers to settle in Indian Territory. Judge was born and raised in Little Axe, Oklahoma, the son of A.F. Veterans. Judge and Alanna love the history of the state and relish in volunteering at the 1889 Territorial Schoolhouse in Edmond. Her first published story, part of a collaborative novella titled Legacy Letters, came out September 2016. Alanna and Judge live with her parents in the Edmond area. They are currently collaborating on a historical fiction series that takes place in pre-statehood Oklahoma.

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The Thin Blue Line: Tulsa Police Department

 

Symbol of the Thin Blue Line
Public Domain, WClarke, Wikipedia

  

By Alanna Radle Rodriguez and Judge Rodriguez


Thank you for joining us this month as we continue our series about first responders in our great state, Oklahoma.

First allow us to say: we wish to pay our respects to the brave men and women of our military, and let them know our thoughts and prayers are with them, particularly those currently on deployment outside our country and away from their families.

However, we also wish to add our gratitude to those that serve outside of our military forces as well. Also called the Thin Blue Line, this group of dedicated public servants serve to keep us, our families, and our property safe. Our hats are off to you, and our gratitude for all you do.

Over the last few months, we have been delving into the history of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and of the Oklahoma City Police Departments. This month we begin looking at the history of the Tulsa Police Department.

Historically speaking, Tulsa, or Tulasi in the native tongue, is one of the oldest towns in current day Oklahoma. Tulasi in Creek means “old town”. Interestingly enough, it is also the root name of Tallahassee, Florida. It was settled by a collection of Muscogee (Creek) and Lochapoka (Turtle) clans during the Indian Removal Act of 1830. The tribes had been moved into the area by the U.S. Cavalry.

The Creek, in particular, started forming towns in the area to include current day Bixby, Jenks, Bartlesville, and Muskogee. At the time of settlement, it was up to the business owners to police their own goods. It was after the War Between the States, during the reconstruction period, that the different towns started incorporating police into their management.

This, added with the US Cavalry’s re-establishment in Fort Gibson, was the beginnings of the Tulsa Police. They officially became a police force with Statehood in 1907, but their beginnings were considerably more humble than the official line states.

With the eventual decline of the Reservation System here in Oklahoma, it was left up to the tribes to provide their own security. They were able to call in the Army, when the need arose. However, the tribes seeking their independence were loathe to ever do so.

Even so, when the tribal police was established in the 1880’s, they were organized along the same lines as the Cavalry, and along tribal custom as well. The term “Police Chief” is a literal term, as at the time, the head of the security force was one of the chiefs of the tribe.

The Tulsa police department was still organized primarily by the tribe. The Railroad companies started bringing in Railroad detectives to help protect their interests. When the police department became official in 1907, the force was comprised of older officers from the tribal force, several railroad detectives, and veterans of the US Army.

When the eastern part of Oklahoma was opened for white settlement in the 1890’s, Tulsa started seeing an increase in diverse economy and population growth. In 1901, oil was discovered in Glenn Pool. It was over the next 2 decades, that Tulsa became known as the oil capitol of America.

Unfortunately, little is known about the police department’s involvement in the 1921 race riots in Tulsa. There are stories that the police took part in it, in however an unofficial capacity they had been acting in at the time. During the Race Riots, the Greenwood area was mostly burned down, including what was known as the “Black Wall Street”.

After the oil boom ended in the 1920’s, and with the introduction of prohibition, the area gained considerable notoriety in the underground Jazz culture. After the oil boom fizzled out, Tulsa became known for aviation. Tulsa PD struggled to match the demand and increased their size from ninety officers to over one hundred fifty.

In the 1950’s and 1960’s, Tulsa started absorbing the smaller towns into the whole. With the increase of physical size, Tulsa PD also absorbed the individual police departments for each of the suburbs as well.

Currently Tulsa PD employs over seven hundred officers, and a corps of reserves as well. They are the second largest police force in the state.

Thank you for joining us this month as we delved into the history of the Tulsa Police Department. We hope you enjoyed reading about this great institution, and join us next month, as we continue to explore the history of the Thin Blue Line here in Oklahoma, and its effects on our great state’s history.

Born and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, Alanna Radle Rodriguez is the great-great granddaughter of one of the first pioneers to settle in Indian Territory. Judge was born and raised in Little Axe, Oklahoma, the son of A.F. Veterans. Judge and Alanna love the history of the state and relish in volunteering at the 1889 Territorial Schoolhouse in Edmond. Her first published story, part of a collaborative novella titled Legacy Letters, came out September 2016. Alanna and Judge live with her parents in the Edmond area. They are currently collaborating on a historical fiction series that takes place in pre-statehood Oklahoma.

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The Thin Blue line: Oklahoma City Police Department Pt 4

1889 Oklahoma City Police Dept. Flag
Wikimedia Commons, https://goo.gl/images/sf6CXK

By Alanna Radle Rodriguez and Judge Rodriguez



Thank you for joining us this month as we continue our series about first responders in our great state.


First allow us to say: we wish to pay our respects to the brave men and women of our military, and let them know our thoughts and prayers are with them, particularly those currently on deployment outside our country and away from their families.


However, we also wish to add our gratitude to those that serve outside of our military forces as well. Also called the thin blue line, this group of dedicated public servants serve to keep us, our families, and our property safe. Our hats are off to you, and our gratitude for all you do.
Over the last several months, we have been covering the history of the Oklahoma City Police Department, and its roots in not only the US Cavalry, but the US Marshall’s Service as well. Last Month we covered from World War II, up to the work stoppage during the 1970’s, over wages.

In the 1980’s, Oklahoma City had both a boom and a bust in finances, as well as population. The population of OKC went, in 1980 from forty-five thousand to over one hundred thirty thousand in 1990. In response to the rapidly increasing crime rate, OCPD instituted a mobile crime unit, forensic training for officers, and a Field Training Program.

  

OKC Murrah Building, May 1995
Taken by Alan Radle, used with permission

On April 19th 1995, when the Oklahoma City bombing happened, one of the first people to make it to the site, mere moments after the explosion, was Sgt. Detective Mike McPherson of the Auto Theft Unit and a Bomb Squad member. He assisted with locating the vin number on the destroyed vehicle, which helped lead the authorities to be able to find Timothy McVeigh.

 

Timothy McVeigh during part of the trail in Perry, Oklahoma
Wikimedia Commons, https://goo.gl/images/xk9YWf 

 
The OKC Bombing was, until September 11th 2001, considered the worst act of terrorism on U.S. soil. Although, by definition, it still is the worst act of domestic terrorism to this day. In response to that, the OCPD created an anti-terrorism task force, that is still in existence today. They have been instrumental in thwarting numerous terrorist threats since their inception. They have also been called to train other cities' departments in anti-terrorism.
With the inclusion of body cameras for each officer, OCPD has maintained their status of being one of the most advanced, well trained law enforcement organizations in the state of Oklahoma. They have faced, in their more than one hundred twenty years of existence, numerous challenges and trials. They have met and overcome them all, to become not only one of the oldest, but the largest police force in the state of Oklahoma.
 

Oklahoma City Police Honor Guard
Wikimedia Commons, https://goo.gl/images/5ZZUfA 

To the ladies and gentlemen of the OCPD, we tip our hats to you, and say a heartfelt thank you for all you have done and continue to do for the citizens of this great state.

Thank you for joining us this month as we delved into the history of the Oklahoma City Police Department. We hope you enjoyed reading about this great institution, and join us next month, as we start with the history of the Tulsa Police Department.

Born and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, Alanna Radle Rodriguez is the great-great granddaughter of one of the first pioneers to settle in Indian Territory. Judge was born and raised in Little Axe, Oklahoma, the son of A.F. Veterans. Judge and Alanna love the history of the state and relish in volunteering at the 1889 Territorial Schoolhouse in Edmond. Her first published story, part of a collaborative novella titled Legacy Letters, came out September 2016. Alanna and Judge live with her parents in the Edmond area. They are currently collaborating on a historical fiction series that takes place in pre-statehood Oklahoma.

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The Thin Blue line: Oklahoma City Police Department Pt 3

1889 Oklahoma City Police Dept. Flag
Wikimedia Commons, https://goo.gl/images/sf6CXK

By Alanna Radle Rodriguez and Judge Rodriguez



Thank you for joining us this month as we continue our series about first responders in our great state.


First allow us to say: we wish to pay our respects to the brave men and women of our military, and let them know our thoughts and prayers are with them, particularly those currently on deployment outside our country and away from their families.


However, we also wish to add our gratitude to those that serve outside of our military forces as well. Also called the thin blue line, this group of dedicated public servants serve to keep us, our families, and our property safe. Our hats are off to you, and our gratitude for all you do.

Over the last couple of months, we have been covering the history of the Oklahoma City Police Department, and its roots in not only the US Cavalry, but the US Marshall’s Service as well. Last Month we covered up to the end of the Great Depression, talking about the service of Detective Jelly Bryce.

 

The OCPD Raiding Squad with shotguns and tommy guns. Front center: Detective "Jelly" Bryce
Wikimedia https://goo.gl/images/cqEPpi

At the end of his tenure with the OCPD, Jelly Bryce became a Special Agent in Charge for the FBI in Oklahoma City. After his tenure there, he ran for, and was not elected as governor of the state of Oklahoma.

It was during World War II that the department suffered a severe manpower shortage. Up until this time, all positions required being an officer. It was during this time, that the decision was made that many of the clerical positions be allowed to have civilians employed. This freed up the officers to allow them to manage their assigned tasks.

After the completion of WWII, OCPD instituted a new training unit to increase the specialization, and professionalism of the recruits. They were put through a one hundred forty-four hour course. It was also during this time that the department created new divisions for burglary, traffic, white collar, and fingerprinting.


During the 1960’s, the department established a formal police academy, a K-9 unit, and a formal Forensics Unit. In 1969, the force started issuing the officers their firearms, a Smith and Wesson .38 special revolver. Up until this time, it was incumbent on the officers to provide their own weapons.


In the 1970’s, the OCPD began the Alcohol Safety Action Project (ASAP), the Selected Enforcement Unit (SEU), Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), and added a helicopter to its list of resources. In ‘75 the officers went on a work slowdown to protest their low wages, and during the dispute, almost all six hundred officers turned in their badges. During the strike, The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Department, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol provided safety and security for the residents of Oklahoma City. After several days, however, an agreement was reached and the officers went back to work.


Thank you for joining us this month as we delved into the history of the Oklahoma City Police Department. We hope you enjoyed reading about this great institution, and join us next month, for the conclusion of the OCPD part of the Thin Blue Line series.






Born and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, Alanna Radle Rodriguez is the great-great granddaughter of one of the first pioneers to settle in Indian Territory. Judge was born and raised in Little Axe, Oklahoma, the son of A.F. Veterans. Judge and Alanna love the history of the state and relish in volunteering at the 1889 Territorial Schoolhouse in Edmond. Her first published story, part of a collaborative novella titled Legacy Letters, came out September 2016. Alanna and Judge live with her parents in the Edmond area. They are currently collaborating on a historical fiction series that takes place in pre-statehood Oklahoma.

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The Thin Blue Line: Oklahoma City Police Department

1889 Oklahoma City Police Dept. Flag
Wikimedia Commons, https://goo.gl/images/sf6CXK

By Alanna Radle Rodriguez and Judge Rodriguez


Hello Friends!

Thank you for joining us this month as we continue our series about first responders in our great state of Oklahoma.

First, allow us to say: we wish to pay our respects to the brave men and women of our military, and let them know our thoughts and prayers are with them, particularly those currently on deployment outside our country and away from their families.

However, we also wish to add our gratitude to those that serve outside of our military forces as well. Also called the Thin Blue Line, this group of dedicated public servants serve to keep us, our families, and our property safe. Our hats are off to you, and our gratitude for all you do.

The history of the Oklahoma City Police Department begins even before the city does. In 1887, the Southern Kansas Railroad created a stop on their line called the “Oklahoma Station”, which had two railroad detectives / policemen stationed there. In December of 1887, the US Postal Service established a post office at the rail station.

When the land-run occurred in 1889, there were thousands of settlers that settled around Oklahoma City. At first, as the community was built on federal lands, the railroad detectives and US Cavalry shared the responsibility of “policing” the community.

The city was considered under Martial Law until in 1898, with the commissioning of the Oklahoma Police force. They started with 5 officers, one of which is the department’s first chief, Charles Colcord. They held court in a small tent near California Ave.

 

Oklahoma City's First Five,
Wikimedia Commons, https://goo.gl/images/YryPeZ

By the end of the century, however, public intoxication had become quite the problem. In the process of statehood, the citizenry approved the prohibition of liquor in Oklahoma City. During that period of Oklahoma City law, the appropriation of alcohol became desirable in foreshadow of the decades to come: the running of alcohol to drinking establishments became quite profitable.

With the signing of a new charter in 1911, The City Of Oklahoma City converted the chief of police to a Commissioner, and changed the position from being an elected position to an appointed position. When the new charter was signed, the city commissioners decided to bring in a well known US Marshall to fill the position of Commissioner of Police, by the name of Bill Tilghman.

Bill Tilghman, 1912
Wikipedia Commons,
https://goo.gl/images/QbNF9g

 

For those familiar with old west history, Tilghman is almost as well known as Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson. For those that are not quite as familiar, he is known for the capture of Bill Doolin, and his heavy handed approach to law enforcement. For those of us that are not as familiar with old west history, but with cinematic history, Bill Tilghman was the inspiration for the character Rooster Cogburn, in the story / movies of True Grit.



Under Tilghman’s leadership, the Oklahoma City Police Department took a stand against the endemic corruption, booze-running, prostitution filled citizenry of Oklahoma City. During this time, the OCPD was considered one of the most brutal, incorruptible police departments in the nation.


Thank you for you joining us this month as we discuss the earliest roots of the Oklahoma City Police Department, one of the oldest in the state. Please join us next month as we cover more history of the OCPD from the nineteen-teens through to the Great Depression.





Born and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, Alanna Radle Rodriguez is the great-great granddaughter of one of the first pioneers to settle in Indian Territory. Alanna loves the history of the state and relishes in volunteering at the 1889 Territorial Schoolhouse in Edmond. Her first published story, part of a collaborative novella titled Legacy Letters, came out September 2016. Alanna lives with her husband and parents in the Edmond area. She is currently working on a historical fiction series that takes place in pre-statehood Waterloo, Oklahoma.
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The Thin Blue Line: The Tan and Brown, Oklahoma Highway Patrol

By Alanna Radle Rodriguez and Judge Rodriguez

Hello Friends!

Thank you for joining us this month as we start our new series about first responders in our great state.

First allow us to say: we wish to pay our respects to the brave men and women of our military, and let them know our thoughts and prayers are with them, particularly those currently on deployment outside our country and away from their families.

However, we also wish to add our gratitude to those that serve outside of our military forces as well. Also called the Thin Blue Line, this group of dedicated public servants serve to keep us, our families, and our property safe. Our hats are off to you, and our gratitude for all you do, and to your families.

After the different land runs, there was a distinct need for peacekeepers. Until the territory had been opened up for white settlement, “keeping the natives at bay” was handled by the U.S. Army, in particular, the Cavalry. Now that the settlers had been able to form their own towns/cities, it was incumbent on them to create their own force of peacekeepers. The United States Marshall’s service had representatives throughout the territory, but were few and far between.

The different newly formed townships had their own force to keep law and order. However, until control was taken over by the State of Oklahoma in 1915, there was another force that assisted with military control as well. That group was the regional Militia. When the state took over control, it turned in to the Oklahoma Army National Guard.

I mention this group because, in 1911 when the Oklahoma Department of Transportation was created, they needed a group to be able to base the law enforcement training on. Starting with the first class of graduates in 1937, The Oklahoma Highway Patrol has been tasked with keeping law and order on the state and federal highways of Oklahoma.

The uniform of the Highway Patrol is partly based on that of the Regional Militia, with brown trousers, and a tan stripe going down the side, and with (originally) cavalry boots. This is much in the style of the traditional uniform for the US Cavalry and their blue trousers with the yellow stripe.

In the first nine months of operation, the troopers issued over a quarter of a million warnings and had over five thousand arrests. In the last eighty years, however, the role for the Highway Patrol has migrated into other arenas.

Today, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol has been tasked with Public Information Services, Capitol Patrol / Capitol Security, Marine Enforcement (in particular, they handle water safety on the rivers and lakes in the state), Training, Bomb Squad, SWAT, Motorcycle safety (the “flying squadron” or “mobile cavalry squadron”), Aircraft Safety, Special Operations (formerly Criminal Interdiction, whose team members , and Audits on fraudulent drivers licenses.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is currently under the Department of Public safety. With 800 Troopers statewide, OHP is considered one of the top law enforcement groups in the country, with some of the most up to date equipment, and personnel training.

We hope you join us in paying respect to the fine men and women that put their lives on the line every day to ensure that the highways and byways of this great state are kept as safe as possible. Please join us next month as we start discovering the other part of the Thin Blue Line: Oklahoma Police Departments.

Born and raised in Edmond, Oklahoma, Alanna Radle Rodriguez is the great-great granddaughter of one of the first pioneers to settle in Indian Territory. Alanna loves the history of the state and relishes in volunteering at the 1889 Territorial Schoolhouse in Edmond. Her first published story, part of a collaborative novella titled Legacy Letters, came out September 2016. Alanna lives with her husband and parents in the Edmond area. She is currently working on a historical fiction series that takes place in pre-statehood Waterloo, Oklahoma.
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