The Tulsa Police Department began the driver-training program in 1976 when the academy class was required to complete a three-day course.  Mr. Chuck Dewalt began the Tulsa Police Law Enforcement Driving Program with three instructors.  The first driving instructor school was held in September 1984, in Burns Flat, Oklahoma.  Sergeant Ollie Harris, Sergeant Vic Seals, Corporal Gary Stephenson, Officer John Fleak, Officer Vernon Lester, and Mr. Chuck Dewalt (Human Resources) were the original instructors to attend the school.  The Tulsa Police Department used McDonnell Douglas property for the original training in 1976.  Training was moved to the Tulsa County Fairgrounds in 1978 and the streets in Gilcrease Hills were used until residences were built there.  In 1987, the Tulsa Police Department recognized that driver training in the basic academy was not enough and conducted one of the first mandatory driver training in-service courses in the state.

 The initial program and it's implementation was a drastic change in the training field and much of what is accomplished today is due to the hard work and dedication of Sergeant Ollie Harris, Mr. Chuck Dewalt and the initial instructor core:  Sergeant Vic Seals (Retired), Corporal Gary Stephenson (Retired), Officer John Fleak (Retired), Officer Vernon Lester (Retired), and Officer Jim Aud (Retired).  Sergeant Ollie Harris retired on December 31, 1990, after serving 30 years with the police department.  He has been employed with the City of Tulsa as the fleet manager since that date.  He continues to coordinate the driver-training program.  Today the Law Enforcement Driving Instructor core recognizes the hard work and dedication of those officers before us.  The unit has evolved over the years and expanded driver training to veteran officers and civilian employees within the City of Tulsa.  The Tulsa Police Department has a dedicated driver training facility named   Holiday Park.  The driver-training unit has provided instructors for various states in the Midwest as well as surrounding municipalities.  The training has included not only basic courses for academy rookies but also mandatory and elective in-service courses offered to officers around the state.  With staff support and technological advances, the driver training program will continue to lead the State of Oklahoma in professional law enforcement driver training.