Oklahoma Highway Patrol cleared state property north of Norman’s Food and Shelter Friday as part of Gov. Kevin Stitt’s Operation SAFE.
The sweep was directed by Sen. Lisa Standridge (R-Norman), which she wrote in a press release Friday.
“I requested the first sweep, this sweep and I respectfully ask Governor Stitt for continued Operation SAFE sweeps in Norman because we cannot allow this property to remain an illegal encampment,” Standridge wrote.
According to the release, the sweep was discussed with Cleveland County Sheriff Darrell Weaver and other state officials in a July meeting organized by Standridge to discuss options for public safety.
Gov. Kevin Stitt’s Operation SAFE, or Swift Action for Families Everywhere, is a statewide initiative to clear encampments, trash and hazardous debris from state-owned property. Stitt launched the initiative September 2025, according to the governor’s website.
Jess Alvarez, director of operations at Food and Shelter, said she was notified of the clearing early Friday morning from a resident of the encampment, after Highway Patrol started clearing.
According to the resident, Highway Patrol gave residents 20 minutes to clear the area.
The last headcount Food and Shelter conducted showed an estimated 100 people and around 30 to 40 dogs living at the encampment site, according to Alvarez.
Alvarez said Food and Shelter’s next steps would be to collaborate with other nonprofit organizations to help displaced residents.
“It’s all hands on deck, and it’s not helpful in this heat, we’re fixing to get an even worse heat wave, and where they had established some comfort and figured out ways to stay cool and survive, has all been disrupted, …” Alvarez said. “We’re just rallying with other nonprofits, Hugs Ministry, Care-A-Vans, we’re trying to just collect items just to replace what they had and try to keep these people alive.”
Background
Oklahoma Highway Patrol previously cleared several acres of state-owned property along the 200 block of Reed Avenue in late May following an overdose death.
Norman Police Department cleared a homeless encampment in May at Frances Cate Park less than one mile north of the Operation SAFE clearing efforts, following a 72-hour notice to vacate the park.
In late April, Norman Police Department and Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office planned to clear an encampment surrounding Food and Shelter, but efforts were postponed due to a misfiling, according to Ward 4 Councilmember Helen Grant.
This story was edited by Reagan Rozzi. Sophie Hemker copy edited this story.
