ICYMI: Reichert, Pascrell, Cardin, Graham Urge Swift Passage
of National Blue Alert System
Mar 25, 2015 Issues: Law Enforcement Caucus, Safe
Communities
Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Representatives Dave Reichert
(R-Wash.-08) and Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-N.J.-09) and U.S. Senators Ben Cardin
(D-Md.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) joined with members of the law enforcement
community Tuesday to urge swift passage of Senate and House bills to create a
nationwide alert system to apprehend violent criminals who have injured or
killed police officers or who have made an imminent or credible threat to the
cause serious injury or death of a law enforcement officer. Modeled after the
successful Amber Alerts, this legislation, (S. 665/H.R.1269) The Rafael Ramos
and Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act of 2015, is strongly supported by theFederal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), the Fraternal Order of
Police (FOP), the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), the
Sergeants Benevolent Association of the New York City Police Department (SBA)and many other organizations.
"By keeping our law enforcement officers safe, we help keep
our communities safe,” said Congressman Reichert. "Creating a National Blue
Alert system is a critical step towards achieving that goal. When law
enforcement officers are harmed, everything in our power should be done to
swiftly apprehend those who harmed them and prevent any further injury or loss
of life. Quickly disseminating information to citizens and public safety
officers will empower communities and add to the tools at the disposal of law
enforcement for keeping America safe.”
"Blue Alert is bipartisan, bicameral legislation to protect
law enforcement officers and the public. When a credible threat is made, an
officer is injured, or worse; we owe it to law enforcement to help however we
can,” said Senator Cardin. "A National Blue Alert system would ensure that
citizens across the country can work in concert to help protect those who put
their lives on the line to protect us. I’m proud to join law enforcement
nationwide and colleagues from both the Senate and the House in calling for the
passage, finally, of this important public safety legislation.”
"Last year, we mourned the loss of Jersey City Officer
Melvin Santiago, who was killed in the line of duty responding to a
gang-related robbery,” stated Congressman Pascrell. "Officer Santiago’s death
set off a series of targeted threats against New Jersey police officers from
the assailant’s fellow gang members. When threats like this occur, the rapid
dissemination of critical, time-sensitive information is essential; and the
National Blue Alert System would provide that.”
"While almost half the states have implemented some form of
a Blue Alert system, there is currently no national Blue Alert system to
coordinate alerts across multiple states. There also is not a federal official
designated to coordinate the Blue Alert system and share best practices with
the states,” Senator Graham said. "Our bipartisan legislation enhances and
integrates the Blue Alert plan throughout the United States. It will help rapidly disseminate information
and notify law enforcement, media, and the public about dangerous criminal
suspects. I hope it can soon be passed
into law.”
"As one of the prime sponsors and authors of the Blue
Alert Act of 2015, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association looks
forward to the swift passage of this bill that will help combat the rise of
targeted violence against law enforcement officers and those that seek to
attack the American way of life,” said Don Mihalek of the Federal Law
Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA)
"Make no mistake – law enforcement officers in uniform are
the targets of those who want to make a headline by killing a cop,” said Chuck
Canterbury, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police. "Officers
Ramos and Liu were two of nine officers killed from ambush last year and the
attempted murder of two police officers in Ferguson is a stark reminder of the
danger these brave officers are in on every shift.”
"Our community in Western Maryland is called the ‘Four State
Region’ for good reason: Hagerstown is 10 minutes from Pennsylvania, 10 minutes
from West Virginia and 30 minutes from Virginia. We anticipate in our community
that anyone who would assault a police officer is going to flee the state, so
getting information out to other law enforcement and the public as fast as we
can is going to make a real difference in getting these individuals off the
streets,” said Chief of Police Mark Holtzman of the Hagerstown Police
Department. "One unique things about law enforcement is that if someone wants
to harm the police, they don’t care what uniform you wear. Use of a National
Blue Alert system will get information out to where it needs to be fast, and
use the leverage of the public we serve, to help apprehend these individuals. I
believe we will have a much safer community.”
"The SBA is grateful to Representatives Reichert and
Pascrell, and Senators Cardin and Graham for their unwavering efforts to pass a
national ‘Blue Alert’ Act,” said Vice President Robert Ganley of the Sergeants
Benevolent Association of the NYPD. "We
are especially grateful for their willingness to rename this legislation after
hero officers Ramos and Liu, and to amend the bill to reduce the odds that such
vicious, unprovoked, and calculated attacks against police officers will
succeed in the future. Had such a Blue
Alert network been in place last December, it would have increased the
likelihood that their murderer could have been stopped before he was able to
carry out his cowardly attack.”
"NAPO is grateful to Congressmen Reichert and Pascrell
and Senators Cardin and Graham for introducing the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu
National Blue Alert Act of 2015. This important legislation honors two heroes
and members of NAPO, NYPD Detectives Ramos and Liu, who dedicated their lives
to protecting the public,” said Bill Johnson, Executive Director of the
National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO). "Passing this bill will
ensure the wide dissemination of information on suspects connected with the
injury or death of a law enforcement officer, as well as information on
credible threats to law enforcement, like the threats posted by the individual
who killed Detectives Ramos and Liu. Passing this bill will prevent future
tragedies during a time when individuals are increasingly willing to attack law
enforcement officers. It is our duty to provide this protection to the men and
women who work tirelessly to protect us. We are not going to rest until this
legislation is passed."
Blue Alerts can be issued in the event of:
· an attack on
a law enforcement officers leading to his / her death or serious injury;
· a conclusion
a law enforcement office is missing in the line of duty; or
· a
confirmation by a law enforcement agency that an imminent and credible threat
exists to kill or seriously injure one of its officers.
The legislation would assign an existing DOJ officer to act
as the national coordinator of the Blue Alert communications network. This
Coordinator will, among other things:
· Provide
assistance to State and local governments that are using Blue Alert plans.
· Establish
voluntary guidelines for states and local governments to use in developing such
plans.
· Develop
protocols for efforts to apprehend suspects, including the use of public safety
communications and command center operations.
· Work with
states to ensure appropriate regional coordination of the network.
· Establish an
advisory group to assist all entities involved in the network with the
facilitation, promotion, and implementation of Blue Alert plans.
· Act as the
nationwide point of contact for the development of the network and the regional
coordination of Blue Alerts through the network.
· Determine
what procedures and practices are in use for notifying law enforcement and the
public of Blue Alerts, and which of the procedures and practices are effective
and do not require the expenditure of additional resources to implement.
· Establish
guidelines that provide mechanisms to ensure that Blue Alerts comply with all
applicable privacy laws and regulations.
· Direct the
Coordinator to submit an annual report to Congress on the Coordinator's
activities and the effectiveness and status of the Blue Alert plans that are in
effect or being developed.