Kasey Alert System Takes Effect

OKLAHOMA CITY –The Kasey Alert system will take effect today, Nov. 1, 2023.

House Bill 1077, authored by Rep. Ken Luttrell, R-Ponca City, establishes the Kasey Alert system and is named for Kasey Russell, a 29-year-old Cherokee Nation Citizen who went missing in 2016.

“First, I would like to thank the grassroots efforts of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women organization, tribal programs, loved ones and their families who raised awareness, advocated for change, and educated the public,” Luttrell said. “This achievement results from their commitment to aiding victims of violence and the missing.”

HB1077 requires the Department of Public Safety to develop and implement a statewide Kasey Alert system for adults who are critically missing. A critical missing adult is a person between the ages of 18 and 59 whose whereabouts are unknown and who is believed to be abducted.

Luttrell said this legislation represents a collaborative effort to address the critical need for improved coordination and rapid response when individuals go missing.

Sen. Cody Rogers, R-Tulsa, served as the Senate author for the bill.

“While I hope it is rare we have to use this alert system, I am pleased that we will have a faster notification and response when adults in our state are missing,” Rogers said. “Agency cooperation and more efficient investigations were another goal of ours as we worked on this legislation, and it going into effect will help more Oklahoma families find answers and get justice.”

The public alert will include facts about the person and the situation around the disappearance and include information on how to contact tribal authorities in cases involving Native Americans.

“I’m humbled to have contributed to this historic law,” Luttrell said. “I want to thank Senator Cody Rogers, along with Representatives Daniel Pae and Mickey Dollens, for their help in making it happen.”