Deputy Chiefs
Deputy Chief Jason Samuel - Special Operations
Jason Samuel was a graduate of Oklahoma City Police Department Class 113 on June 12, 1998. He began his career in the Santa Fe patrol division and served in IMPACT and at the Training Center before promoting to the rank of Lieutenant in January of 2011. As a lieutenant, he held positions at the Information Desk, Will Rogers patrol division and Traffic Investigations Unit.
In July of 2017, he was promoted to the rank of Captain and was assigned to Hefner Division as shift commander for 2nd and 4th shift. He also served as the Police Community Relations captain and Emergency Services captain before he was assigned to the Criminal Intelligence Group in March of 2020. In April of 2021, he promoted to the rank of Major and was assigned to the Special Operations Division.
On October 9, 2024, Samuel was promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief and assigned as the Investigations bureau commander, overseeing criminal investigative units, laboratory services, digital and physical evidence management, and other investigative support services.
Some of his key achievements throughout his time as a Captain and Major in Special Operations include assisting in the development and implementation of the Violent Crimes Apprehension Team, creating a Threat Review Process in collaboration with the FBI for use by the department and the Major Cities Chiefs Association, and serving as Intel Commander during the riots and protests at Police Headquarters in 2020. He managed the implementation of the department’s Real Time Information Center, implemented a Street Narcotics Unit, and established partnerships with multiple law enforcement and community groups to support programs that reduce violence in Oklahoma City and provide avenues for more effective investigation and prosecution of firearm-related crimes.
Some of Deputy Chief Samuel’s career accomplishments include serving as a member and commander of the Oklahoma City Police Honor Guard, Crisis Negotiations Unit, and Law Enforcement Driver Training (LEDT) Instructor. He is also the recipient of the Police Medal of Valor, two Life Saving Medals, and Certificate of Achievement Medal. He currently serves on the board for the Central and Southwest Oklahoma Chapter of the American Red Cross and as the Department Liaison for the Oklahoma City Police Foundation.
Samuel is a graduate of FBI National Academy Class 284 and PERF Senior Management Institute for Police.
Deputy Chief Jeremy Harrison - Operations North
Deputy Chief Harrison began his career as a 911 dispatcher in April 2002, before entering the police academy and graduating from Class 120 in April 2004. His initial assignment out of the academy was in the Hefner Patrol Division and he later served in IMPACT and the Springlake Patrol Division before being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in March 2013. As a lieutenant, he served in the Will Rogers Division and in Professional Standards.
In June 2018, he was promoted to the rank of Captain and was assigned to the Southwest Division as shift commander for 2nd and 4th shift while also serving as an Assistant Tactical Commander. In March 2020, he was assigned as the Violent Crime Apprehension Team (VCAT) and K9 commander. In April 2021, he was assigned as the Criminal Intelligence and Tactical Unit Commander. In February 2023, he was promoted to Major and assigned as the Administration Division Commander before returning to Special Operations in October 2024.
On July 3rd, 2026, he was promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief and assigned as the Operations North bureau commander, overseeing the Springlake and Hefner patrol divisions as well as Operations Administration, which includes School Resource Officers and Police Community Relations units.
Throughout his service, he has led numerous initiatives that significantly expanded the department’s operational capabilities and organizational effectiveness. His accomplishments include the development and implementation of VCAT, the Reality Based Training Unit, and the Real Time Information Center.
He oversaw the implementation of the department’s Drone as a First Responder program and helped advance multiple behavioral health initiatives, including the Crisis Response Team partnership with Fire, behavioral health documentation and tracking, and quality assurance programs. Additional accomplishments include strengthening active shooter response training through LASER, implementing structured table-top exercises, formalizing field-based debriefings, expanding supervisor schools as well as supervisory training and oversight.
Deputy Chief Harrison has served as Co-Chair of the Intelligence Committee for the Major Cities Chiefs Association and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, PERF’s Senior Management Institute for Police, the National Command and Staff College and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma in Public Administration.
Deputy Chief Vashina Butler - Administration
Deputy Chief Vashina Butler has served with the Police Department since June 1991. She's the highest-ranking woman in OKCPD history and the first to earn the rank of Deputy Chief.
Within the department, Butler has had numerous assignments including patrol officer, Field Training Officer supervisor (FTO), DARE Instructor (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) and GRAVE Instructor (Gun Resistance and Violence Education), Investigations Training Officer Supervisor and Command Post Supervisor. In 1999, Butler was promoted to Lieutenant and was assigned to the Springlake Division as a patrol supervisor. She transferred to the Investigations Bureau in 2006, where she supervised several units, including the White Collar Crime Unit, Missing Persons and Domestic Violence.
In 2011, Butler was promoted to Captain and assigned to the Operations Bureau as the Hefner Division’s Second Shift Commander. Butler has also been the Executive Officer/Day Shift Commander for the Springlake Division. In 2013, Butler became the Commander over the Police Community Relations Unit (PCR). There she was the Commander over the Police Athletic League (PAL), Truancy Unit (now the YES Unit), School Resource Unit, Family and Community Teamwork (FACT), Triad Unit and Bilingual Unit. Butler served as the Commander over Building Management and the Inmate Processing Unit from July 2017 to March 2020. In March 2020, she was promoted to the rank of Major, and then promoted to Deputy Chief in April 2021.
Chief Butler attended the University of Oklahoma and Southeastern Oklahoma State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and psychology.
In 2011, Butler attended the Municipal Leadership Program, and in 2016 she was selected to attend the FBI-LEEDA Command Institute for Law Enforcement Executives. In 2017, Butler attended the Senior Management Institute for Police Executives. She was selected as the Impact Woman of the Year by the Women of Color Expo in 2019 for her involvement and leadership in the community. In 2019, she was also one of the Police Department’s Reflections of Courage award recipients.
Butler has been involved in many community and law enforcement-based programs and organizations throughout her career. Since 2015, she has been a member of the OSU-OKC Criminal Justice Program Advisory Board. She has also served as the Coordinator for the OSU-OKC Cops Program Assessment Center since 2012. Butler joined the National Association of Women in Law Enforcement Executives in 2016. Butler is a current member of the OKC Human Rights Commission Task Force, OKC Community Policing Working Group and the Equity Working Group. Butler has been a supporter of Positive Tomorrows since 2000, as well as a volunteer for Special Olympics since 2000.
Deputy Chief Beto Balderrama - Operations South
Deputy Chief Beto Balderrama started his career with the OKCPD on January 8, 1999, and graduated from Class 114. He began as a patrol officer in the Will Rogers division where he became an FTO, a Firearms Instructor, a CIT officer, and in 2001 was added as a member of our Tactical Unit. He also joined the Gang Enforcement Unit in 2003 and became one of the first members of the department’s Bilingual Unit.
Deputy Chief Balderrama was promoted to lieutenant in 2009 and was a field supervisor at the Springlake division, the Gang Enforcement Unit, and Bricktown’s Bike Patrol, where he also led the Homeless Outreach Team. He was promoted to captain in 2015 and served as the Superintendent of Records, Executive Officer at Springlake, and a commander in the Office of Professional Standards.
Deputy Chief Balderrama made the rank of major in 2021 and served as the Springlake division commander, the Logistical Support commander, and the Director of Training. He was promoted to Deputy Chief on July 17, 2026, and currently oversees the Operations South Bureau, which consists of Santa Fe Division, Southwest Division, and 911 Communications. He also serves as the Latino Community liaison for the Oklahoma City Police Department.
Deputy Chief Larry Withrow - Investigations Bureau
Deputy Chief Larry Withrow has served with the Police Department since March 1995. He began his career as a patrol officer in the Santa Fe Patrol Division. Withrow was promoted to Lieutenant in 2006 and was assigned to the Will Rogers Patrol Division where he also served as a Field Training Supervisor. He held assignments in the Crime Scene Unit and Data Systems.
Withrow was promoted to Captain in 2014 and assigned to the Data Systems Unit. He transferred to Media Relations, where he served as the Public Information Officer. In 2020, he was promoted to Major, assigned to the Southwest Patrol Division, and later transferred to the Investigations Division. He also served as the department’s liaison to the Fraternal Order of Police.
In July of 2026, Withrow was promoted to Deputy Chief and serves as the commander of the Investigations Bureau.
Withrow earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma and is a graduate of the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police.
Some of Deputy Chief Withrow’s career accomplishments include serving as a Field Training Officer and Supervisor, Firearms Instructor and Law Enforcement Driving Training (LEDT) Instructor. He is the recipient of a Life Saving Award and Medal for Meritorious Service.