ORLANDO, Fla. – What exactly does it mean when a Florida Blue Alert is issued?
Similar to an Amber Alert that triggers a notification on your phone, a Blue Alert makes the public aware of an emergency situation involving a law enforcement officer in the state of Florida.
[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
“For the state to issue this type of alert, a law enforcement officer has either been killed, injured or has gone missing and the suspect is not in custody and poses an immediate threat to other officers,” News 6′s Trooper Steve said.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement lists four criteria for a Blue Alert.
- A law enforcement officer must have been: seriously injured; killed by a subject(s); or become missing while in the line of duty under circumstances causing concern for the law enforcement officer’s safety.
- The investigating agency must determine that the offender(s) poses a serious risk to the public or to other law enforcement officers, and the alert may help avert further harm or assist in the apprehension of the suspect.
- A detailed description of the offender’s vehicle or other means of escape (vehicle tag or partial tag) must be available for broadcast to the public.
- The local law enforcement agency of jurisdiction must recommend issuing the Blue Alert.
Click here to receive notifications when any of these alerts are issued.
[VIDEO BELOW: Trooper Steve explains alerts in Florida: Amber, Blue, Silver]