Rod Boshart, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa –
DES MOINES – Legislation seeking to create a “blue alert” system when a public safety officer is killed or hurt – similar to the Amber alert notification when a child goes missing – to help capture a fleeing perpetrator likely won’t move forward this session but backers say the idea could still have life via executive order.
Senate File 265, authored by Sen. Jeff Danielson, a Waterloo Democrat who is a professional firefighter, sought to create a blue alert program within the state Department of Public Safety for the purpose of aiding in the apprehension of a person suspected of killing or seriously injuring a peace officer, firefighter, campus police or other public safety official.
“It’s an Amber alert but it’s for law enforcement,” Danielson said Thursday, shortly after a Senate subcommittee decided not to pursue a notification system currently operating in more than a dozen other states. “We’ve had high-profile attacks on law enforcement in Iowa. We think it’s best to have immediate notification of the public.”
Under the bill, a blue alert would be issued by DPS officials if a law enforcement agency confirmed that a peace officer had been killed or seriously injured in the line of duty and there was enough descriptive information about the suspect to ensure an immediate broadcast of the information would aid in the discovery of that suspect.
If the criteria for issuing a blue alert had been met, the department would transmit a blue alert through the emergency alert system to Iowa broadcasters and a posted alert on an Internet website. The bill provided that a blue alert would be terminated when the suspect was located or five hours after transmission of the alert, although a blue alert also could be renewed.
Sen. Rob Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids, who led the subcommittee that considered the issue Thursday, said the panel members decided a statutory approach was not needed because Gov. Terry Branstad currently has the authority to establish an alert system via his state executive order powers. He noted that the Amber alert system currently operating in Iowa is voluntary, not state mandated, and that some DPS officials expressed reservations about mandating a blue alert given that some circumstances arise where they would prefer to have discretion in determining whether to enlist the public’s help in trying to apprehend a suspect.
“It can already be voluntarily done so why do we need a statute?” Hogg said. “It can be done by executive order. Why do that when the governor can do it now if he wants to do it?”
Branstad spokesman Tim Albrecht said the administration is confident the current internal law enforcement communications systems is effective and efficient to deal with emergencies involving public safety officials. “Moreover, we want to be mindful that the implementation of any new notification system does not result in any unintended consequences or limit the flexibility to respond appropriately given the circumstances of each event,” Albrecht said in a statement.
