Leading by Learning

Moore Police Chief Todd Gibson (center) serves as a commissioner for the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs

Moore Police Chief Todd Gibson believes a big part of leading is learning. As the newest member of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Commission, Gibson hopes the axiom he believes in holds true.

“Every day that I put on this uniform and carry out my role, whatever role that is within law enforcement, but especially in a leadership role, I absolutely learn something,” the law enforcement veteran explained.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt asked Gibson to lend both his desire to learn and his law enforcement expertise to OBN’s commission earlier this year. The state senate confirmed Gibson in April.

Gibson’s law enforcement experience is vast. He began his career at the Warr Acres Police Department in the 1990s. He then joined the Norman Police Department in 1998, retiring as a Captain in 2016. While with NPD, Gibson served as division commander of patrol and criminal investigations. He also served as incident commander during multiple natural disasters in Cleveland County (including the 2010 and 2013 tornadoes). Gibson was recognized as Norman’s Supervisor of the Year in 2012. He was also named Officer of the Year at Warr Acres PD in 1996 and again in 1997. Gibson served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and earned degrees in corrections and criminal justice from Oklahoma City Community College and the University of Central Oklahoma.

In 2017, Gibson was named Cleveland County Sheriff following the early retirement of former sheriff Joe Lester. He was elected to that office in 2018.

The seven-member commission is the governance arm of OBN. The commission includes one sheriff, one police chief, one district attorney and four lay members. Commission members are appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Oklahoma Senate.

Gibson says his chief concern as a member of the commission will be the men and women charged with carrying out its enforcement activities.

“I absolutely want to make sure that the men and women of the bureau have everything they need to be successful,” Gib-

son noted. “Not only equipment and technology, but also the right leadership and culture within the bureau so that they can be successful.”

Among Gibson’s other concerns are the state’s foray into medical marijuana and the rise he believes it has given to illicit drug trade.

“I would like to do my part to have a voice on the commission to help straighten out some of the dysfunctional items that were put into place through different mechanisms, but mainly through state question 788, (the voter initiative that legalized the licensed cultivation, use and possession of marijuana for medicinal purposes),” Gibson added.

Among Gibson’s concerns with the medical marijuana industry in Oklahoma is how doctors are to identify patients who might benefit from the use of medical marijuana.

“Personally, I’m unclear on what are the specific diagnoses for which marijuana should and could be arguably prescribed for by a medical professional,” Gibson explained. “And if it is a medical component, then why are we buying a license from the state for a medical prescription?”

Gibson is also concerned with the influx of illicit activity in the state, including illegal grow operations feeding markets outside Oklahoma.

“We are seeing a lot of illegal operations that are setting up and exporting products from our state to other states where it is not legal,” Gibson said. “I think OBN is doing a good job combating a lot of that, but those are some other issues that I would like to learn more about and see what I can do to help support the Bureau in making strides and stopping that activity.”

Gibson also noted OBN is charged as the state’s chief investigative unit of human trafficking, a problem on the rise nationally, and one often connected to the drug trade.

“Some of this marijuana trade has connections to the human trafficking component, which is also a big initiative that is championed by OBN,” he said.

Gibson believes one of the most impactful learning experiences he’s had was running a county jail as a sheriff. It’s there he witnessed first-hand the impact of drug use on individuals.

“I saw the opportunity for people to hit rock bottom and to be given some hope through treatment,” Gibson explained. “People came into the Cleveland County jail and we’re frustrated and upset. But families outside would celebrate. Their loved ones are sleeping in a safe place and not on the streets. I’m not trying to say there’s not the ability to get drugs inside jails, we find that all the time. But, during their moments of sobriety in the jail, people often have clarity of mind to actually seek treatment options they didn’t when they’re provided to them when they are on the street.

“(I learned) being arrested isn’t always a negative thing. We need to shift the paradigm … to an opportunity for us to interject into that person’s life and get them directed towards the path of recovery, and a path of freedom away from their addiction.”

With a wide portfolio of learning opportunities Gibson has experienced in a quarter-century of in law enforcement, he is humbled to be serving in his new commissioner’s role with a chance to keep learning.

“I just appreciate the opportunity,” he concluded. “I appreciate Governor Stitt giving me the opportunity to serve on the commission. It’s an honor.” –19SM