TRIBE. WE KNOW THAT SAYS THE GOVERNOR IS WRONG HERE. YEAH. EVAN COP CARS THROUGHOUT THE STATE HAVE ACCESS TO A CENTRALIZED LAW ENFORCEMENT DATABASE, USUALLY ACCESSIBLE ALL THROUGH A LAPTOP IN THEIR CAR. SIMILAR TO THIS DEMONSTRATION WE SET UP IN THIS KOCO FIVE NEWS VEHICLE, A TROOPER POLICE OFFICER CAN SIMPLY RUN PLATES ON A LAPTOP AND GET BACK INFORMATION. BUT RIGHT NOW, THE GOVERNOR SAYS THAT CERTAIN TRIBAL TAGS, THAT INFORMATION IS JUST NOT ACCESSIBLE. BUT A TRIBAL LEADER, WE SPOKE WITH TODAY SAYS THE GOVERNOR IS JUST WRONG. THIS WAS THE TWEET POSTED MONDAY BY OKLAHOMA GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT CLAIMING LAW ENFORCEMENT DOES NOT HAVE ACCESS TO VEHICLE REGISTRATION DATA FROM TRIBES WITHOUT VALID COMPACTS. HIS ARGUMENT THAT THE LACK OF DATA POSES A RISK TO OFFICERS. IT CAME ABOUT A WEEK AFTER A CITIZEN OF THE OTOE-MISSOURIA TRIBE WAS PULLED OVER AND TOLD HER TRIBAL TAG WAS INVALID BECAUSE SHE DID NOT ACTUALLY LIVE ON TRIBAL LAND. MY TRIBE, THEY HAD NO CLUE WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. THEY THOUGHT THAT THEY HAD A COMPACT WITH THE STATE AND SO THEY WERE UNAWARE AND TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD REACH BACK OUT TO ME. BUT IN A STATEMENT TO KOCO, GOVERNOR REGGIE WAZNI OF THE CHEYENNE ARAPAHO TRIBES CALLED STITT’S CLAIM INVALID. WAZNI SAYS HIS AND SEVERAL OTHER TRIBES USE THE OKLAHOMA LAW ENFORCEMENT TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM. WELLSTON. HE SAYS THAT SYSTEM ALREADY ALLOWS LAW ENFORCEMENT TO OBTAIN VEHICLE DATA FROM THEIR RECORDS. WELLSTON GOING AS FAR TO SAY THAT SOME TRIBES HAVE ATTEMPTED TO GET ON THE SYSTEM BUT HAVE BEEN DENIED. NOW WE NEED TO REACH OUT TO OKLAHOMA. DPS TO SEE HOW THIS LACK OF INFORMATION IMPACTS THEIR WORK EVERY DAY. BUT WE DID NOT GET TIME FOR
Gov. Kevin Stitt says he's 'backing the blue' in fight over tribal tags
Stitt said because the tribes don't share data with the state, officers' safety is being put at risk
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Updated: 5:12 PM CST Nov 14, 2023
Gov. Kevin Stitt said he's "backing the blue" in his fight over tribal tags.Stitt said because the tribes don't share data with the state, officers' safety is being put at risk. One of the tribes argued the data the governor is talking about is already readily accessible.Stitt took to Twitter on Monday, claiming law enforcement in the state does not have access to vehicle registration data from tribes without valid compacts. He argued the lack of that data endangers the safety of officers. | MORE | Tribal citizens express concern after driver was ticketed for having tribal plate while living outside tribe's boundariesThis came one week after a citizen of the Otoe-Missouria tribe was pulled over by a state trooper and told her tribal tag was invalid because she did not actually live on tribal land."My tribe had no clue what I was talking about. They thought they had a compact with the state and so they were unaware and told me they would reach back out to me," said Crystal Deroin, who was cited for a tribal tag.Several tribes criticized the move, including the Cheyenne Arapaho tribe, arguing their tags are federally protected and that the protection was affirmed by the Supreme Court. In a statement to KOCO 5, Cheyenne Arapaho Gov. Reggie Wassana called Stitt's data-sharing claim invalid. Wassana said he and several other tribes already use the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Telecommunications System.Law enforcement vehicles throughout the state are equipped with the system in their car, usually accessible through a laptop, allowing them to run plates while on a traffic stop. Wassana went as far as to say some tribes have been denied from getting on the system.KOCO 5 reached out to the Department of Public Safety to see how a lack of registration data impacts their work, but they declined to sit for an interview or provide a comment.Top HeadlinesOKC police respond to scene where 7 people overdosed overnightIncome of typical homebuyer in the US surged last year as home affordability worsened, report saysHighly-trained K-9 officer goes missing, found in someone's backyard in Pottawatomie CountyDebate for new arena continues after Drake announces tour stop at Paycom CenterHere's how to get paid for watching holiday movies
OKLAHOMA CITY — Gov. Kevin Stitt said he's "backing the blue" in his fight over tribal tags.
Stitt said because the tribes don't share data with the state, officers' safety is being put at risk. One of the tribes argued the data the governor is talking about is already readily accessible.
Stitt took to Twitter on Monday, claiming law enforcement in the state does not have access to vehicle registration data from tribes without valid compacts. He argued the lack of that data endangers the safety of officers.
| MORE | Tribal citizens express concern after driver was ticketed for having tribal plate while living outside tribe's boundaries
This came one week after a citizen of the Otoe-Missouria tribe was pulled over by a state trooper and told her tribal tag was invalid because she did not actually live on tribal land.
"My tribe had no clue what I was talking about. They thought they had a compact with the state and so they were unaware and told me they would reach back out to me," said Crystal Deroin, who was cited for a tribal tag.
Several tribes criticized the move, including the Cheyenne Arapaho tribe, arguing their tags are federally protected and that the protection was affirmed by the Supreme Court.
In a statement to KOCO 5, Cheyenne Arapaho Gov. Reggie Wassana called Stitt's data-sharing claim invalid. Wassana said he and several other tribes already use the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Telecommunications System.
Law enforcement vehicles throughout the state are equipped with the system in their car, usually accessible through a laptop, allowing them to run plates while on a traffic stop. Wassana went as far as to say some tribes have been denied from getting on the system.
KOCO 5 reached out to the Department of Public Safety to see how a lack of registration data impacts their work, but they declined to sit for an interview or provide a comment.
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