Oklahoma Highway Patrol can not legally decide to shift the bulk of its patrols away from Oklahoma City and Tulsa, according to a binding Attorney General opinion released Wednesday.

“Oklahoma Statutes requires the OHP to exercise ‘primary law enforcement responsibility’ for traffic related offenses on interstate and defense highways in Oklahoma,” the opinion says. “While sheriffs, municipal police departments, and other peace officers have authority over traffic offenses… such authority is supplemental to the OHP’s primary authority.”

Democratic Sen. Mark Mann from Oklahoma City had asked Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond for the opinion in July. It was in response to a state plan to shift resources from urban to rural areas.

A statement from the Dep

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