Blue Alert will provide the means to speed the apprehension of violent criminals who kill or seriously injure local, state, or federal law enforcement officers.
Based upon the success of the Amber and Silver Alerts and using the same notification system, Concerns of Police Survivors, in conjunction with other national organizations, is urging law enforcement officers, agencies, and survivors to help put the “Blue Alert” into effect nationwide.
Below are the states that currently have a Blue Alert System in place and the date passed or enacted:
Alabama - April 16, 2010
California - January 6, 2010
Colorado - March 17, 2011
Delaware - January 1, 2011
Florida - May 5, 2008 (Officer Down Alert)
Georgia - July 1, 2010
Kentucky - April 15, 2012
Maryland - June 25, 2010
Mississippi- July 1, 2011
Montana- October 1, 2011
Ohio – February 16, 2012
Oklahoma- February 10, 2009
South Carolina – February 27, 2012
Tennessee- May 12, 2011/July 1, 2011
Texas- August 18, 2008
Utah – October 17, 2011
Virginia- May 2, 2011
Washington – March 15, 2012
Blue Alert in most states is a cooperative effort between State Departments of Public Safety, State Departments of Transportation, the Governors’ Divisions of Emergency Management, broadcasters, law enforcement agencies, and the general public. Using media broadcasts and Department of Transportation messaging signs, each “Blue Alert” would cover the state with information giving a detailed description of the offender, the offender’s vehicle, and license plate information. These measures will hinder the offender’s ability to flee the state and facilitate a speedy capture, helping eliminate the threat they would pose on other communities and law enforcement personnel.
State Blue Alert Criteria
All four criteria must be met in order to activate the network.
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A law enforcement officer must have been killed or seriously injured by an offender.
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The investigating law enforcement agency must determine that the offender poses a serious risk or threat to the public and other law enforcement personnel.
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A detailed description of the offender’s vehicle, vehicle tag, or partial tag must be available for broadcast to the public.
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The investigating law enforcement agency of jurisdiction must recommend activation of the Blue Alert to the State Operations Center (Governors’ Divisions of Emergency Management).
C.O.P.S. encourages you to write your state governor and district representatives asking that the Blue Alert be put into effect in your state. C.O.P.S. feels the Blue Alert would be a valuable addition to the Amber and Silver Alerts already in place. Working together, we can show our support for the brave men and women who protect our great nation and ensure that those who do harm to our protectors are quickly captured, fully prosecuted, and appropriately punished.
For more information on Blue Alert or to secure contact information for those looking to implement Blue Alert in their states, please contact Erin Aldridge, C.O.P.S. Marketing Manager at erin_aldridge@nationalcops.org.
Based in Camdenton, MO, Concerns of Police Survivors was founded in 1984 for the surviving families of law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. Today C.O.P.S. serves nearly 30,000 people who have identified themselves as survivors nationwide. C.O.P.S. provides programs at no cost to survivors, as they have already paid too high a price. C.O.P.S. hosts a summer camp for surviving children ages 6-14, an Outward Bound® Experience for surviving teens ages 15-20, and retreats for adult children, spouses, parents, siblings, in-laws, and affected co-workers. Visit www.nationalcops.org for more information on the organization.