Oklahoma senator files bill to stop use of unmarked police vehicles
TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — A state senator from Tulsa wants police departments to stop using unmarked police cars.
Sen. Cody Rogers, R-Tulsa, filed a bill calling for police departments to use clearly marked vehicles instead. He's also calling for markings on police vehicles that contrast in color.
“People tend to pay more attention and have better driving habits when marked police cars are around,” Rogers said in a press release. “If we’re concerned about public safety, then we should get more of those vehicles out there.”
Senate Bill 1109 asks municipal police departments to use clearly marked vehicles.
He's concerned the unmarked cars are being used for revenue generation as opposed to public safety.
“The concern is that these vehicles are being used for revenue generation as opposed to tools for public safety on our roads,” Rogers said in a press release. “I’ve heard from many constituents who have had encounters with law enforcement and had no way of identifying their vehicles or if they were even actual officers at all.”
Lawmakers will hear more on the bill during the next legislative session in February 2022.
