A St. Helens police sergeant found that 21st century safety needs 21st century laws, and he set out to usher in those changes.
After investigating a case involving a woman and her stalker, St. Helens Police Sgt. Matt Smith was inspired to go to Salem to change the state stalking law. His aim? To make it harder for potential stalkers to use the latest technological gadgetry to connect to potential victims.
kAm%96 C6DF=E @7 9:D H@C<[ :? 4@?;F?4E:@? H:E9 G:4E:>D 2?5 DE2E6 =2H>2<6CD[ :D w@FD6 q:== c`de[ H9:49 A2DD65 3@E9 E96 w@FD6 2?5 E96 $6?2E6 2?5 2H2:ED 7:?2= 2AAC@G2= 3J v@G] %:?2 z@E6< 2D @7 %F6D52J 27E6C?@@?[ |2C49 `h]k^Am
kAmxE H2D 2 DE2=<:?8 42D6 C6=2E65 E@ 2 H@>2?’D 6I\3@J7C:6?5 E92E EC:886C65 $>:E9’D :?E6C6DE E@ AFCDF6 492?86 :? ~C68@?’D DE2=<:?8 =2HD]k^Am
kAm“x 24EF2==J 925 2 DE2=<:?8 42D6 E92E DE2CE65 96C6[” $>:E9 E@=5 !2>A=:? |65:2 vC@FA] “$96 H2D AC6EEJ 2=2C>65] $96 42==65 96C6 2?5 D96 H2D C62==J FAD6E]”k^Am
kAm$>:E9 D2:5 $8E] y@? t886CD[ 2=D@ H:E9 E96 $E] w6=6?D A@=:46 7@C46[ 925 E96 H@>2? 8@ 5@H? E@ 2 =@42= 2FE@ C6A2:C D9@A[ H96C6 D96 7@F?5 7@FC v!$ EC24<6CD 9:556? @? 96C G69:4=6]k^Am
kAm“$96 5:D4@G6C65 E92E D@>6@?6 92D 2AA=:65 E96D6 EC24<6CD[ 2?5 H6 DE2CE65 2? :?G6DE:82E:@? 96C6[ 2?5 @G6C E96 4@FCD6 @7 AC@323=J E9C66 @C 7@FC >@?E9D[ H6 HC@E6 >F=E:A=6 D62C49 H2CC2?ED[” $>:E9 D2:5] “pD H6 H6C6 D=@H=J 3F:=5:?8 @FC 4C:>:?2= :?G6DE:82E:@? :?E@ E9:D[ x H2D AC6EEJ D9@4<65 E@ 5:D4@G6C E92E[ F?56C @FC 4FCC6?E =2H[ E92E’D ?@E 2? 6=6>6?E @7 DE2=<:?8]”k^Am
kAm$>:E9 C624965 @FE E@ DE2E6 #6AD] z6G:? |2??:I W#\$2=6>X[ H9@ HC@E6 E96 @C:8:?2= DE2=<:?8 =2H ?62C=J E9C66 564256D 28@[ 2?5 $FD2? |4{2:? Ws\w:==D3@C@X] $>:E9 E@=5 E96> E92E E96C6 H6C6 D6C:@FD =2AD6D :? E96 DE2=<:?8 DE2EFE6[ H9:49 925 ?@E 366? FA52E65 :? 4=@D6 E@ b_ J62CD[ 2?5 D@>6E9:?8 ?66565 E@ 36 5@?6]k^Am
kAm“z6G:? |2??:I’D @77:46 D2:5 @FC 4FCC6?E DE2=<:?8 =2H H2D AFE @? E96 3@@<D :? E96 286 @7 72I >249:?6D[” $>:E9 D2:5]k^Am
kAm$>:E9’D :?E6C6DE :? E96 =2HD 2C@F?5 DE2=<:?8 E@@< 2?@E96C EFC? H96? 96 8@E :? E@F49 H:E9 p>36C #@D6?36CCJ[ H9@ 925 2=D@ C6A@CE65 36:?8 2 DE2=<:?8 G:4E:>]k^Am
kAm“x D2E 5@H? H:E9 96C 2E 2 =@42= $E2C3F4<D 2?5 H6 DA6?E 2 4@FA=6 @7 9@FCD ;FDE >2AA:?8 @FE H92E 92AA6?65 E@ 96C[” 96 D2:5] “(6 ;FDE DE2CE65 92?5\HC:E:?8 @FE H92E E96 ?6H DE2=<:?8 DE2EFE6 D9@F=5 =@@< =:<6]”k^Am
kAm#@D6?36CCJ C642==65 96C 92CC@H:?8 6IA6C:6?46 2?5 DA@<6 E@ E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 E96 =682= FA52E6D E92E H:== FD96C :? ?6H[ E649?@=@8J\32D65 DE2?52C5D >@C6 ?646DD2CJ :? E9:D 52J 2?5 286]k^Am
kAm“x 925 E96 6IA6C:6?46 2D 2 DE2=<:?8 G:4E:>[” D96 D2:5] “$@>6@?6 H2D ?@E 92AAJ E92E x 564:565 x H2D?’E :?E6C6DE65 :? 52E:?8 9:> 2?J>@C6] x?:E:2==J :E H2D 3688:?8 >6 E@ 4@>6 324<[ E96? :E H2D 56>2?5:?8 E92E x 4@>6 324<] %96? :E 3642>6 8@:?8 27E6C 7C:6?5D 2?5 72>:=J 2?5 E9C62E6?:?8 E96> 2?5 E96:C 49:=5C6?’D =:G6D]k^Am
kAm“]]] |J =:76 492?865] x 492?865 >J ;@3[ x 492?865 >J 42C] x 4@F=5?’E 8@ E@ 2?J @7 E96 A=246D x H@F=5 ?@C>2==J 36]”k^Am
kAm$A62<:?8 @7 w@FD6 q:== c`de[ #@D6?36CCJ D2:5[ “xE’D 2 3:8 DE6A E@ 3C:?8 FD :?E@ E96 >@56C? 6C2]”k^Am
kAms6D4C:3:?8 E96 56E2:=D @7 w@FD6 q:== c`de[ $>:E9 D2:5 “6=64EC@?:4 4@?E24E” 42? ?@H 36 :?4=F565 :? 2==682E:@?D @7 DE2=<:?8]k^Am
kAm“x7 J@F 92G6 2? 6I\3@J7C:6?5 @C 2? 6I\8:C=7C:6?5[ 2?5 J@F 924< :?E@ E96:C A9@?6[ E96:C 6>2:= DJDE6>[ E96:C D@4:2= >65:2[ E92E’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 4@?D:56C65 4@?E24E[” $>:E9 D2:5]k^Am
kAmx56?E:EJ E967E G:2 @?=:?6 2G6?F6D[ D92C:?8 6IA=:4:E :>286D @?=:?6 @7 D@>6@?6 H:E9@FE E96:C 4@?D6?E 2?5 v!$ EC24<:?8 H:E9@FE E96 @E96C A2CEJ’D 4@?D6?E H:== ?@H 36 :?4=F565 :? E96 567:?:E:@? @7 DE2=<:?8[ E92?<D E@ E96 ?6H =2H]k^Am
kAm“p G:4E:> 42? ?@H 86E 2 DE2=<:?8 @C56C 32D65 @? E92E 4@?5F4E[” $>:E9 D2:5]k^Am
kAmw6 25565 E92E E96 DE2=<:?8 =2H 367@C6 E9:D 2>6?5>6?E’D A2DD286 6BF2E65 E@ C6A62E65[ F?H2?E65 4@?5F4E E92E H2D 2=2C>:?8 :? ?2EFC6] r@?E24E[ F?56C E96 @=5 DE2EFE6[ 5:5 ?@E 6?42ADF=2E6 6=64EC@?:4 92C2DD>6?E 2?5 6=64EC@?:4 C6>@E6 EC24<:?8[ 244@C5:?8 E@ $>:E9]k^Am
kAm$>:E9 6IA64ED E96 ?6H =68:D=2E:@? E@ 6?92?46 =2H 6?7@C46>6?E’D 23:=:EJ E@ :?E6CG6?6 :? 2==682E:@?D @7 DE2=<:?8 :? E96 >@56C? 286 @7 E649?@=@8J]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 8@:?8 E@ 8:G6 =2H 6?7@C46>6?E E96 23:=:EJ E@ 4@?5F4E 36EE6C DE2=<:?8 :?G6DE:82E:@?D[” $>:E9 D2:5] “x E9:?< :E’D 8@:?8 E@ >2<6 :E >F49 62D:6C 7@C G:4E:>D E@ 86E E9@D6 AC@E64E:@? @C56CD]”k^Am
kAm&=E:>2E6=J[ E96 ?6H DE2=<:?8 =2H >2J 96=A =2H 6?7@C46>6?E :?G6DE:82E6 9F>2? EC277:4<:?8]k^Am
kAm“$@>6E9:?8 E92E x A6CD@?2==J 9@A6 E92E E9:D DE2EFE6 :D FD65 7@C :D E@ C6D4F6 H@>6? H9@ 2C6 36:?8 9F>2? EC277:4<65 2?5 E@ AC@G:56 >@C6 E@@=D 7@C E96> E@ 86E AC@E64E:@? @C56CD E@ <66A E96> D276[” 96 D2:5]k^Am