FRANKFORT, Ky. — The topic of public safety has been front and center this session, with the House passing a sweeping crime bill called the Safer Kentucky Act in January.
State Rep. Keturah Herron, D-Louisville, says she’s looking at other ways to address crime and safety.
“One thing that I constantly hear is families say, it’s been five years since my loved one was killed and no one’s been arrested,” Herron said.
One bill she’s filed this year is HB 551. It would add to state law that police departments could hire retired officers to work cold cases. Herron says it’s something Louisville Metro Police Department has already begun doing to address its hundreds of cold cases.
The bill also has a Republican co-sponsor, State Rep. John Blanton, R- Salyersville.
“This is a bill to help those families who have not gotten answers and to help tell them that hopefully, if we’re able to get more people to look at these cases, that we will get some people off the street and those families will get the answers that they’ve been looking for,” Herron said.
Another change she proposes has to do with purchasing firearms or ammunition. HB 518 would require a person to be given information about firearm safety and suicide prevention when making those purchases.
“It is our duty to educate people. If people are going to buy firearms, let’s educate them. We know we have a crisis not only here in Kentucky, but across the nation, and we know that firearms right now is a number one leading cause of death in children,” Herron said.
Herron also filed another bill to create a statewide Office of Safer Communities, which would collect data on firearm injuries and deaths. Herron says this would help communities better approach the issues of gun violence.
As of Friday, none of these bills have been assigned to a committee.