Oklahoma’s Top Criminal Investigator Stresses Ethics as MACU Instructor

Wednesday, March 16, 2011 

The new director of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation brings experience and knowledge to his post, as well as a deep conviction of the necessity of Christian ethics.

OSBI Director Stan Florence's years in law enforcement brought him the experience, and his classes at MACU gave him a framework to practice his commitment to ethical standards. As a Mid-America instructor, he's teaching new generations about the importance of workplace integrity.

The OSBI assists in the investigation of crimes at the city, county, state and federal levels. The 85-year-old agency's duties range from helping rural sheriffs collect evidence to monitoring worldwide terrorist activity to determine if potential threats have any Oklahoma connection.

The OSBI began in 1925 when three deputy marshals decided to help Oklahoma's local sheriffs and police deal with outlaws hop scotching through towns, counties and jurisdictions.

"The OSBI was formed to support and to be a resource for local law enforcement," Florence said. "The OSBI provides what they often can't - funding, manpower, expertise."

Florence began his 27-year career in law enforcement as a police officer. He later served as a county sheriff for nine years before joining the OSBI in 2003. One reason he came to the agency was his appreciation of its help during tough cases.

"I've been a requestor," Florence said. "I've been that sheriff on the side of the road looking at bodies in a ditch, and I felt the weight of the world. Any time a crime occurred, I took it personally. It was my job to keep my community safe. I always knew if I needed a professional, quality resource to call for help, it was the OSBI. And the outcome was always favorable. The best part is they didn't come in and take over my case. They worked side-by-side, elbow-to-elbow with me.

"Now I've put on the other hat. When that sheriff or chief of police calls me, I know what he or she is talking about. Two years ago, I got one of those phone calls from Chief Ken Brown in El Reno, who is also an MACU grad. He said, 'Buddy, I need help. I've got a young mother and her four children, and they're all dead. They've been murdered.'

"I said, 'Ken, we're on our way.' That call was at 5 or 6 o'clock. By 8 p.m., we had 17 people on the case serving to supplement the El Reno police investigators. In 24 hours, we had the guy caught in Texas. That's what we're here for."

Florence knows that following ethical standards can mean life or death in his business. That's one reason he was drawn to Mid-America when he decided to complete his undergraduate degree.

"At OSBI, our mission is to find the truth," he said. "If you seek the truth and find the truth, ultimately the truth should succeed. You can't start a case with any biases. That's why ethics is such a major function of what we do here. We have mandated ethics training every year, because we handle some of the major cases in this state. If the truth doesn't convict a defendant or solve a crime, we have to live with that because the truth has to win."

In 1998, Florence was a sheriff with a college transcript full of hours and no degree in sight. Years before, he had been widowed with two children, aged three and five, and he had put his education on hold. Now he was ready to go back for his degree. A sheriff from a neighboring county who had recently graduated highly recommended Mid-America. With this recommendation and the encouragement of his new wife Sheila, Florence enrolled and started his MACU journey.

"As a Christian, I always embraced ethics," Florence said. "At MACU, it was biblically-based, and it just went well with what I'd always believed. I tell my students now – 'At the time I was taking these courses, I was a sheriff. Don't think for a minute there weren't temptations, because there were. Any time you're in a position of power, the temptations just elevate, and they are just too much for some people. That's why OSBI ends up putting district attorneys, sheriffs and governors in jail. We've done that because of an abuse of power. And what you see in most instances is a lack of understanding of Christian-based ethics.'

"As I attended classes, not only were the management classes relevant, but I took what I was being taught in class at night back to the workplace every day, and I made direct application. Not just from a criminal justice point of view, but from an ethical point of view - seeking to do what's right using the Bible as a guide. It really impacted my administration as a sheriff by helping me stay focused."

Earning his undergraduate degree at MACU and a master's degree at East Central University combined with his supervisory experience as a sheriff qualified him for promotions that eventually led him to this position.

Florence plans to continue teaching at MACU to give students the practical training and ethical foundation he appreciated in his classes. He often speaks in introductory classes to encourage those who have decided to take the first step to earn their degrees.

"I hold dearly and take seriously the position I have. The OSBI has been here a long time. It existed before me, and it will exist after me. Being director of the OSBI is something I have been entrusted with, and I will be a good steward of this responsibility. That is what God expects of me."