Welcome!

Welcome to the online portfolio of Kelli K. Smith, a journalist and alumna of the University of Notre Dame.

Kelli currently reports on Dallas police and public safety at The Dallas Morning News. This site features her background, achievements and writing and video portfolios.

If you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to contact Kelli through the form at the bottom of the website. Thanks for visiting!

About Me

Kelli K. Smith is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where she majored in political science and film with a minor in journalism. An El Paso native, she now works as a public safety reporter with The Dallas Morning News.

Her work has ranged from breaking to enterprise to investigative. She brought to light a series of evidence storage issues at the Dallas Police Department in 2023 after she revealed that police improperly stored more than 52,000 digital files in possible violation of evidence laws. She later reported that at least 16 homicide cases were jeopardized after police deleted evidence, and hundreds more were being audited.

Smith’s reporting has propelled agencies to reopen internal investigations, change their evidence storage settings, implement compliance teams and begin to report use-of-force data to the FBI. Attorneys filed motions based on revelations in the evidence loss series. She was first to spotlight Dallas quietly redacting online police report data; four officers caught on video laughing at a disabled veteran denied restroom access; and the unnoticed death of a man in police custody during a mental health crisis, later ruled a homicide.

Smith was previously a fellow with The Chicago Tribune, where she served as primary voting reporter for the 2020 election while covering breaking news during the COVID-19 pandemic. She detailed unprecedented surges in crime on Cook County’s expressways and public transportation through comprehensive data analyses.

While at school, Smith served as Editor-in-Chief of The Observer, the independent newspaper covering Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College. She led more than 150 students in daily coverage and spearheaded a social media department, a diversity and inclusion director, an investigative unit, audio and videography teams.

Awards include Dallas Morning News team effort of the year for her work memorializing Uvalde shooting victims, the Paul Neville award for overall excellence in journalism and four first-place Indiana Collegiate Press Association awards. She produced documentary films selected in the International Social Change Film Festival and the 2019 and 2020 Notre Dame student film festivals. She was also a finalist in the 2019 Indiana Keating Competition.

When she’s not working on stories while consuming endless amounts of coffee, Smith can be found with her nose buried in a good memoir.

Writing Portfolio

Print & Digital Work

Expressway shootings more than doubled in 2020, and victims and advocates are asking why tougher measures aren’t being taken
Violent crime rate doubles on CTA rail system, even with stepped-up police efforts and far fewer riders: ‘The people that are driving the crime never left the system’
Notre Dame had to suspend classes days into the term as COVID-19 cases surged. Is that a cautionary tale for other college campuses trying to reopen?
When mom got cancer, I tried smiling and pretending everything was OK. That didn’t help.
Mother of 4-year-old student accuses Chicago Public Schools of covering up security guard’s alleged abuse of her son: ‘I felt so heartbroken’
Holy Cross asserted there are no confirmed COVID-19 cases among its Westville students. But loved ones of inmates say otherwise
Rohingya Americans in Chicago venture out to local polling place en masse to cast their first-ever general election votes: ‘Really I’m so grateful’
Donnie Kirksey, Chicago basketball legend, dies at 57 of complications related to COVID-19
previous arrow
next arrow
Slider

The Dallas Morning News

Click this link to browse Kelli’s most recent work.

A man died in Dallas 10 months ago in hospital police custody. It’s now ruled a homicide

Murder cases could be in jeopardy as Dallas police review 450 cases for missing evidence

Dallas police may be violating evidence laws with 52,000 improperly stored digital files

A deputy chief took us through Dallas’ entertainment areas Friday night. Here’s what we saw

Dallas deletes information about crime from public view, plans more redactions and delays

Gunman sought after killing 21-year-old woman, wounding 7 others inside northwest Dallas nightclub

Dallas’ top cop Eddie García gets cautious praise on 1st year as critics push for more progress

El Paso, our hidden desert gem, is at the crossroads of America’s angst

The Chicago Tribune

Expressway shootings more than doubled in 2020, and victims and advocates are asking why tougher measures aren’t being taken

Violent crime rate doubles on CTA rail system, even with stepped-up police efforts and far fewer riders: ‘The people that are driving the crime never left the system’

Notre Dame had to suspend classes days into the term as COVID-19 surged. Is that a cautionary tale for other college campuses trying to reopen?

With thousands completing ballots from home because of the pandemic, voters engage in new ways to discuss election issues

Rohingya Americans in Chicago venture out to local polling place en masse to cast their first-ever general election votes: ‘Really I’m so grateful’

The Observer

Holy Cross asserted there are no confirmed COVID-19 cases among its Westville students. But loved ones of inmates say otherwise

‘I started crying in the airplane’: Notre Dame student denied entry to U.S. amid tensions with Iran

A broken kind of love

Multimedia Portfolio

Videos

Documentaries

Play
Play
Play
Play
previous arrow
next arrow
previous arrownext arrow
Slider

Informational Videos

Play
Play
Play
Play
Play
Play
previous arrow
next arrow
previous arrownext arrow
Slider

Photos

previous arrowprevious arrow
next arrownext arrow
Shadow
Slider

Interactive Clips

April 16, 2020

COVID-19: Mapping the virus' impact

Peruse this map to read and hear about the transformed hometowns, unprecedented adjustments and meaningful moments marking the lives of Notre Dame students and faculty across the globe.

January 15, 2020

A decade of data: Notre Dame’s 2010s by the numbers

Scroll over the graphs to take a look at how Notre Dame has changed since 2010, focusing on tuition, enrollment, demographics, crime, campus infrastructure, research spending and endowment.

previous arrowprevious arrow
next arrownext arrow
Slider

Contact Me

Thank you so much for visiting this site! If you would like to contact Kelli, please fill out the form provided.