Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon (D-Utica/Rome) announced that she co-sponsored and helped pass legislation to establish a Blue Alert system to assist in the identification, location and apprehension of individuals who kill or seriously injure police officers (A.6318-A).

“The courageous individuals who serve in law enforcement are the first on the scene when tragedy strikes and put their lives on the line every day to protect us,” said Buttenschon. “When officers are killed or seriously injured in the line of duty, it’s critical that we have a system in place to swiftly identify the perpetrator and ensure justice is served. This legislation will do just that and implement a system that operates similarly to the Amber Alert system for missing children. I’ll always work to support law enforcement agencies and ensure they have the resources and support they need to keep us – and themselves – safe.”

The bill would establish a Blue Alert system to publicly disseminate information that can help identify and apprehend offenders who kill or seriously wound local, state and federal law enforcement officers. There are currently 37 states that have a Blue Alert system, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Vermont and Connecticut.^[1] The legislation has also passed the state Senate and now goes to the governor’s desk for her approval, noted Buttenschon.

[1] https://cops.usdoj.gov/bluealert