Nine years after her daughter Reagan Tokes was abducted and killed, Columbus mother Lisa McCrary‑Tokes is back pressing state lawmakers to tighten Ohio’s rules for monitoring people on post‑release control. She is throwing her support behind a proposal that would require continuous, real‑time GPS tracking for certain violent offenders and faster notifications when a monitor goes offline or a warrant is issued. The measure, led by state Rep. Cindy Abrams, has already started its journey through the legislature.
Bill Would Mandate Live Tracking And Quicker Alerts
According to the Ohio House of Representatives, House Bill 667, introduced as the Reagan Tokes and Patrick Heringer Act, would require the Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections to work with a single vendor that can provide continuous, real‑time GPS monitoring. The system would need to enforce inclusionary and exclusionary zones, curfews, and a crime‑scene correlation function. The bill’s summary also directs that certain warrants be entered into LEADS and NCIC and that 9‑1‑1 call centers be notified within 48 hours of a warrant being issued. Tracking services such as LegiScan show the measure was introduced on Jan. 29 and referred to the House Public Safety Committee, while local reporting has tracked the bill's debut.
Mother Says "System Is Still Failing"
Speaking with WBNS, McCrary‑Tokes said the current setup "is still failing other innocent people" and pointedly noted, "it’s been nine years" since Reagan’s murder. She said she is working with Rep. Abrams and plans to testify in committee when lawmakers take up the bill. The family’s earlier push at the Statehouse helped pass reforms known as the Reagan Tokes Act, and they say this latest measure is aimed at closing the monitoring gaps that remained after Reagan’s death.
Case Spotlighted Limits Of Passive Monitoring
In the case against Brian Golsby, prosecutors relied on GPS pings from his ankle monitor to place him at several locations the night Tokes disappeared, but the information was reviewed only after the fact, not monitored live, according to court coverage. Reporting from The Lantern and court records describe how Golsby violated parole and committed robberies in the weeks before the killing while still wearing the device. Supporters of House Bill 667 argue that real‑time monitoring, along with faster notifications, could have flagged those violations sooner and prompted enforcement actions.
Cincinnati Killing Adds New Urgency
The legislation also carries the name of Patrick Heringer, a Cincinnati man killed in 2025, a case that lawmakers say underscores what is at stake. Local coverage from WLWT detailed how prosecutors say the suspected offender had cut off an ankle monitor and police were not notified in time. That episode, advocates say, pushed the Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections to adjust some notification policies and helped shape the bill’s sections dealing with warrants and alerts.
Legal And Practical Hurdles Ahead
Even if lawmakers agree on the goal of tighter oversight, actually pulling off continuous, real‑time monitoring comes with a list of thorny questions: who pays for the technology, how to coordinate alerts with local 9‑1‑1 centers, and how to handle privacy and data‑security issues. Advocates point out that a previous attempt to require continuous monitoring passed the Ohio House in 2022 but died in the Senate, as reported by WCMH/NBC4. Lawmakers and the DRC will again have to weigh those tradeoffs as this bill moves forward.
What’s Next
The Ohio Legislature’s bill page lists House Bill 667 as introduced on Jan. 29 and now parked in the House Public Safety Committee. Supporters say they expect committee hearings in the coming weeks and are pressing for swift action. At the same time, opponents and budget hawks are likely to demand more detail on costs and protections for people under monitoring. 10TV reports that lawmakers plan to take up the measure in committee soon.
