What is a Blue Alert?

October 4, 2024 – The National Blue Alert Network supports the use and integration of Blue Alert plans throughout the United States in order to rapidly disseminate information to law enforcement agencies, the media and the public to aid in the apprehension of violent criminals who have killed, or seriously injured an officer in the line of duty. Blue Alerts can also be issued when a suspect poses an imminent and credible threat to law enforcement, or when an officer is missing in the line of duty.

Texans received an early morning Blue Alert on Friday. Suspect Seth Altman shot a law enforcement office in the panhandle region of Texas. The injured officer was taken by air ambulance to a hospital in Amarillo. The officer’s current condition is unknown. According to DPS officials, Altman is white, 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs about 220 pounds. He has red or auburn hair and was last seen wearing a blue T-shirt and blue jeans.

Congress passed the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act of 2015 in order to encourage, enhance, and integrate Blue Alert plans.

The law is named in honor of New York City Police Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu who were killed in an ambush attack on December 20, 2014.

Blue Alerts can be transmitted to television and radio stations; to cellphones and wireless devices, to overhead highway message signs, and other secondary alerting mechanisms – in the same way that AMBER Alerts are commonly issued.

There are currently 37 states with Blue Alert plans. The COPS Office provides resources and technical assistance to states, territories, law enforcement agencies, and tribes seeking to establish or enhance Blue Alert plans; including, voluntary activation guidelines, examples of legislation, policies, and forms gathered from around the nation in a central Blue Alert data repository.