Oologah Police Department

06/07/2026

*Update* We've made contact. Thank you.

Will the new owner of the home at the corner of Alta and Locust please reach out to us through dispatch at 918-923-4755.

06/01/2026

HIT & RUN 06.01.2026
UPDATE: Male has been identified and photographs have been removed for privacy. Thank you to the citizens who called in tips.
At approximately 1150 hours, the male photographed was involved in a hit and run collision that took place in the parking lot of Pumpin’ Pete’s gas station. If anyone knows who this male in the picture is, please contact the Oologah Police department or 911.

05/22/2026

Today, we're going to piggyback off of Monday's post in which a teen driver was stopped for reckless driving (93mph in a 55mph zone).

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration novice teen drivers are twice as likely as adult drivers to be in a fatal crash. There was a 16% increase in passenger vehicle driver fatalities of 15 to 18 year-olds between 2014 and 2023.

We have included Kennedy's Story, a crash survivor's testimonial, with the link below. We urge parents to continue to talk to their children about safe driving and to always lead by example.

https://youtu.be/_nCsbAk2aOw?si=2gVg2tQBMYLiAC5q

One moment behind the wheel can change everything. Kennedy Bingham knows that better than anyone. As a crash survivor and above-the-knee amputee, her life lo...

05/18/2026

This vehicle was traveling 93mph in a 55mph zone. After stopping the vehicle occupied with 1 adult (barely) and 5 juveniles, it was discovered that the juvenile driver did not have a valid driver's license (not even a permit) and did not have insurance on the vehicle. Parents were called, the driver was cited and released to their parents, and the vehicle was towed.

Violating traffic laws as a juvenile can prevent them from obtaining their license before their 18th birthday. Aside from that, this was incredibly dangerous behavior, endangering the lives of other drivers and the other passengers inside the vehicle.
These kids were lucky that the inexperienced driver was stopped before attempting to make the upcoming curve as the vehicle speeds had increased from the initially observed 83mph.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics from 2023 recorded 180,209 young drivers aged 15-20 were injured in crashes and 2,148 young drivers were killed in traffic crashes.
You can review NHTSA's 2023 Traffic Safety Report on young drivers by clicking the link below for more extensive information.
https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813736.pdf

To the teens:
Always wear your seatbelt and never get in a vehicle with someone who drives recklessly with no regard to their own safety or the safety of others.

05/16/2026

Today marks the last day of National Police Week in which we honor the courage, sacrifice, and dedication of the men and women in law enforcement.

National Peace Officers Memorial Day service was on May 15th. However, I believe there's no better way to wrap up the week than by honoring those who have fallen in service.

Two of our officers attended the memorial service held today by Capt.Coy Jenkins and the Rogers County Sheriff's Office in Alluwe. A clip from the tribute is shown below.

Today we ask that you take a moment to click on the shared link to the Officer Down Memorial Page to remember the 111 officers nationwide killed in the line of duty in 2025. Click on their pictures and read their stories to honor their memory.

https://www.odmp.org/search/year/2025?sort=date_eow&order=DESC&eow_start=2025-01-01&eow_end=2025-12-31&additional=Officer&page=0&pageSize=48

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." -Matthew 5:9

05/14/2026

We're going to wrap up this week's theme on severe weather with information on our community storm shelters.

Community residents have access to two storm shelters located at the Oologah Talala Public Schools located at 10700 US Hwy 169 during storms that present imminent danger to life. The first shelter is located on the east side of the school and is marked "Storm Shelter" in large blue lettering on the building. The second shelter is located on the east side of campus at the Lower Elementary, also marked "Storm Shelter" in large blue lettering on the building. These buildings are marked on the provided picture with red arrows.

This page will update you during severe weather if we have opened one or both of these shelters for safe refuge.

Again, we encourage you to monitor verified sources for confirmed weather alerts and public safety information during severe storms.

05/13/2026

📢 Severe weather information should come from verified sources, not rumors, reposts, or unconfirmed social media reports.
Follow official public safety agencies, trusted local broadcast meteorologists, and the National Weather Service for accurate warnings and emergency updates.

During severe weather you'll see posts from our page with updated storm information for the Oologah community posted by two of our very own officers.
In addition to Lt. Rhoden, we have our very own celebrity. Chances are, if you're one of those "In Travis We Trust" folks, you've heard Officer Kevin Tillotson giving live first-hand information on the ground during significant weather events.

Officer Tillotson has dedicated more than two decades to weather monitoring and emergency management. He began his service with the City of Coweta in 2002 as an Emergency Management Assistant, where he was responsible for monitoring weather radar, activating tornado sirens, and conducting post-storm damage assessments for FEMA following major weather events.

After his time with the City of Coweta, Officer Tillotson transitioned into broadcast weather coverage as a storm tracker, working with KJRH, KTUL, and Fox23. For the past three years, he has served as a Storm Tracker for News on 6, providing life saving severe weather coverage and public safety information across Oklahoma.

Throughout his career, Officer Tillotson has completed extensive training through the OK-First Program in partnership with the Oklahoma Mesonet, along with numerous National Weather Service training programs. He also holds multiple FEMA certifications in the Incident Command System (ICS) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS).

05/12/2026

We're taking time this week to highlight the Oologah Police Department's role during severe weather. In addition to being the hub of the town's severe warning system, you'll see posts from us regarding inclement weather and shelter information.
We strongly encourage the community to rely on verified and official sources for weather warnings and emergency information. Accurate information saves lives.

Today, we'll introduce one of our officers responsible for keeping the community informed on severe weather and when and where to access storm shelters within Oologah.

For nearly three decades, Lt. Rhoden has dedicated himself to protecting communities long before the storm ever arrives.

His journey into severe weather response began in 1996 when he earned his ham radio license. What started as a passion quickly became a calling. He immediately joined Skywarn training through the National Weather Service and began storm tracking on the ground alongside fellow ham radio operators, serving as the “eyes in the field” for meteorologists during severe weather events.

Over the years, Lt. Rhoden continued expanding his weather knowledge through ongoing study, training, and real-world experience. When he joined the Oologah Police Department in 2016, he brought that expertise with him, helping monitor dangerous weather conditions and assisting with critical, life-saving decisions during severe storms impacting the community.

Two years ago, Lt. Rhoden further strengthened his capabilities by completing the Oklahoma Mesonet OK-First Program and earning certification. Through this advanced training, he gained access to Mesonet data systems, advanced weather radar platforms, and direct communication channels with the National Weather Service and meteorologists throughout the region.

From storm spotting in the field to utilizing advanced weather intelligence technology, Lt. Rhoden’s commitment to public safety has remained constant for nearly 30 years, combining experience, training, and dedication to help keep communities informed and safe when severe weather threatens.

05/11/2026

Everyone remembers the storm we had this past weekend that had us all feeling like it was snowing in May, right? While everyone was trying to squeeze their car into their storage room, I mean garage, to avoid the predicted baseball size hail, Oologah's "tornado siren" .....sirened. Hearing that siren wail caused a lot of concern amongst our residents, some questioning why it was "triggered" in the first place.

When threatened with severe weather, we used to wait for word from the National Weather Service and our two trained weather experts at the Oologah Police Department to manually trigger the siren. We've since updated the methods in which that siren is activated to an automatic system.

Lieutenant De Rhoden explains how this system now works:

When severe weather threatens the Oologah area, OPD uses the Federal Signal Commander warning system to help protect the community by quickly activating the outdoor storm sirens when dangerous conditions approach.

The system constantly monitors live warning information issued by the National Weather Service. When the NWS places Oologah inside a warning polygon — the highlighted storm path shown on weather radar — the software checks how close that polygon is to town limits.

If a tornado warning polygon comes within a 3-mile radius of Oologah, the system is programmed to activate the storm sirens immediately to warn residents of imminent danger.

The system will also activate the sirens for severe thunderstorm warnings that carry the rare “destructive” tag from the National Weather Service. This tag is reserved for storms capable of producing extremely dangerous winds or hail comparable to tornado damage and signals a life-threatening situation.

By using automated polygon-based activation instead of relying solely on countywide warnings, the Federal Signal Commander system helps ensure sirens are sounded quickly and accurately for storms that pose a direct threat to the Oologah community.

05/08/2026

This is the reason the sirens automatically activated.