Oklahoma, as a whole, has some of the highest instances of violent crime per-capita in the country, while having one of the lowest law enforcement per-capita ratios in the nation. This due to lack of pay, lack of qualified applicants, and a general ‘anti-law enforcement’ sentiment that is prevalent. Norman Oklahoma has the unique distinction of being one of nine cities in the United States that actually decreased funding of their police department during the ‘defund the police’ movement of 2020 and 2021. As a whole, Oklahoma Law Enforcement budgets have not grown at the same percentage as tax revenues. Outside of very large cities budgets and pay have remained stagnate while calls for service have increased. A vast majority of law enforcement agencies across the state are chronically understaffed. The addition of a well trained canine team will increase efficiency at the smaller departments and act as a force multiplier.

The average law enforcement agency in Oklahoma currently sits at 21 sworn officers, which is slightly below the national average of 26. Budget issues are endemic in all size departments. The cost of equipment and training is not scaled to department size thus we see the departments that would benefit the most from a canine unit pushed out of purchasing due to cost.