Named after NYPD officers, Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, this bill seeks to create a National Blue Alert communications network. Ramos and Liu were killed in the line of duty by a person who deliberately sought to harm members of the law enforcement community.
Blue Alert networks pass along information that relates to the death or serious injury of law enforcement officers in the line of duty. Blue Alerts can also be used for officers who go missing while working, or for imminent and credible threats of people who intend to seriously injure or kill a law enforcement officer.
The network would be created by the Attorney General within the Dept. of Justice (DOJ). Alerts would come from coordination with state and local governments, and their law enforcement agencies.
A national coordinator would be appointed to help state and local governments with their Blue Alert plans. Voluntary guidelines would be set for all Blue Alert plans across the country including:
A list of the resources for establishing a Blue Alert plan.
Criteria for evaluating whether a situation warrants issuing a Blue Alert.
Guidelines to protect the privacy, dignity, and independence of any law enforcement officer who may be the subject of a Blue Alert, and their family.