Remembering Kelsey on “Night to Unite”

Kelsey Smith was murdered on June 2, 2007, after being abducted from a Target parking lot.  For four days, her parents, along with police, begged their cell phone company to turn over records showing the location of Kelsey’s cell phone.  Within 45 minutes of getting the records, authorities located Kelsey’s body.

After meeting with Kelsey’s parents, I authored a new law to enable police to access cell phone records sooner when there is a threat of death or serious injury.  The law passed with nearly unanimous, bipartisan support. 

“Kelsey’s Law” is finding similar support as it spreads across the country.  At last count, “Kelsey’s Law” had passed in seven states, including Minnesota and her home state of Kansas, and is being considered in three more, plus a Canadian province.  A federal version has also been introduced. 

The use of cell phone location technology allows police to pinpoint the location of a cell phone within a few yards.  It is crucial in an emergency, however, that police officers be able to access the cell phone records quickly, while the phone is still on and the battery is working. 

As I get ready to visit  gatherings tonight, today seemed like a good day to remember and honor Kelsey Smith.  Her parents, Greg and Missey Smith, have been instrumental in passage of “Kelsey’s Law” across the country.  As a parent, my heart still aches for their loss.  I commend Greg and Missey for turning this terrible tragedy into an effort to prevent other children and their parents from suffering a similar fate.

I also commend all of the neighbors and neighborhoods who are gathering tonight for Mendota Heights’s “Night to Unite.”  When it comes to safety and crime prevention, there’s nothing more important we can do than work together and watch out for one another.