Trooper Beaty

Law Enforcement Driver Training has been active in the State of Oklahoma since 1979. Nationwide, it was one of the earliest programs formed. Many individuals have dedicated their careers to the advancement of law enforcement driver training in the United States but none have given so much to so many than Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Dale Beaty. Dale Beaty is a 35-year veteran of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. He has been a driving instructor since 1979 and is currently assigned to a law enforcement driving facility in Burns Flat, Oklahoma. Trooper Beatty has been at the facility since 1983 and has hosted students from the majority of the States in the USA. Dale Beaty has turned the former Air Force Base in Burns Flat into one of the premier driving facilities in the United States. I recently taught an instructor school in Burns Flat and felt compelled to tell the story of Trooper Beaty. The job was not an easy one. Dale is very unassuming and hesitant to speak about himself. He is truly a legend among driver training instructors. All you have to do to find out about Dale is to speak to those that he has taught. It is quite possible that Trooper Beaty has had the most impact on Law Enforcement Driving Safety than any other individual.

Trooper Beaty (Left) Speaks With Driving Instructors At Burns Flat. There Are Several Stories From Fellow Driving Instructors Who Speak About The Value In The Late Night "Sermon" You Can Always Hear From Dale. The One Above Is Taking Place at 1:00 A.M.

Beaty: “It has to be the budget, being able to get the people to train, everyone is so shorthanded……A lot of administrators and chiefs, they’re looking at money and budgets. But I’m telling you, One accident will take care of that. Go have one crash, there’s your budget.”

What is the biggest change with law enforcement driver training? Beaty: “The vehicles are so much safer. We used to teach how to turn into a skid, we don’t have to now. With ABS Brakes, there is not a need for threshold braking.”

Trooper Beatty emphasized the importance of driver training: “We sit behind the wheel of a car 99% of the time. How many times do we shoot on-duty but we are in a vehicle all of the time.”

Dale has a simple message to new driving instructors: “You have to keep it simple, you have to relate to your student…..You’ve got to believe in it. They have to believe in the program. It’s up to us to sell the program. If we don’t sell it (driver training) then we fail.”

Dale concluded our discussion with this: “I am not in this for the money, glory, or promotion. I want to share all of the information. I get to make people better drivers. I’m not trying to get promoted. So many are power hungry. I enjoy teaching and when you see it in his eyes, as soon as it comes across, that’s payment right there. Seeing that student get it, that’s money to me.”

Dale Beaty is a man that quite literally would help anyone if asked. There is so much that he is responsible for that we will never know. He is not a man looking for credit or press coverage. He is simply a Trooper that has made it his mission to make the job of thousands of police officers safer. Trooper Beaty was hesitant to speak about the 16 year-old paraplegic girl he taught to drive or the many teenagers he has taught life saving skills. He has been invited to every State to teach and branched out to school bus safety. Dale doesn’t speak about living at his training facility 50 weeks a year or any of the family sacrifices he has made during his tenure as an Oklahoma Highway Patrolman. One thing is for sure, the dedication of Trooper Beaty will remain in Law Enforcement for generations to come due to the thousands of officers that have benefited from his training.