OCSO Deputy Rediscovers History Of Law Enforcement

Deputy Bradley Wynn spends his days working for the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office but during his time off on evenings and weekends he is uncovering the incredible history behind law enforcement in Oklahoma.

Like an investigator solving a case, Deputy Wynn is putting together the Oklahoma County story.

“You go to a crime scene, you have very few clues and somehow you have to put together the story,” he said.

He added white gloves to his getup to handle the official journals and ledgers from the 19th century.

The books have been on the back burner for years, but even hand prints of the first sheriff who wrote to reimburse himself for the work he'd done were left on these fragile pages.

“Looking up stolen cattle – self and posse – six dollars,” read one entry.

He also found wanted posters from the Wild West, images of the very first jail, and even crime scenes.

And his passion to preserve their history even led him to learn more about some of the area's most famous inmates, like ‘Machine Gun Kelley’ and Ted Cole.

Cole was arrested booked in the Oklahoma County Jail on a Kidnapping charge. He was sentenced to federal prison and ended up at Alcatraz, where he would later become famous for escaping.

All the clues let Deputy Wynn in on what life was like for law enforcement back then. “I can see the world that they lived in,” he explained.

But he has only scratched the surface. He said there are 300 more books in the basement waiting to be studied.

He said the heap of history could help mold our future.

“This is our legacy. This is the history that we leave behind. This is what our officers today can stand on. But they don’t know about it yet and that’s what I’m trying to do,” he said.

His biggest need currently is a special scanner that would digitize each page and preserve the images forever.

If you would like to donate toward the project, call the Oklahoma County Jail and mention the ‘Save Our Story Project’ or ask to speak with Captain John Skuta.

Deputy Wynn also wants to hear from people who have other stories of the area in the late 19^th Century and beyond.

He plans to eventually write a book about his discoveries.

Learn more about the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office’s Save Our Story Project.