§ 42-28-3.5. Blue Alert system.
(a) There is established a statewide alert system known as "Blue Alert� which shall be
developed and implemented by the division of state police.
(b) As used in this section, the term:
(1) "Law enforcement agency� means a law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the
search for a suspect in a case involving the death or serious injury of a peace officer
or an agency employing a peace officer who is missing in the line of duty.
(2) "Peace officer� means a person who is certified to exercise the powers of arrest.
(c) The "Blue Alert� system may be activated when a suspect for a crime involving the
death or serious injury of a peace officer has not been apprehended and law enforcement
personnel have determined that the suspect may be a serious threat to the public and
also when a peace officer becomes missing while in the line of duty under circumstances
warranting concern for such peace officer's safety.
(d) Upon notification by a law enforcement agency that a suspect in a case involving the
death or serious injury of a peace officer has not been apprehended and may be a serious
threat to the public, or that a police officer is missing in the line of duty under
circumstances warranting concern for such peace officer's safety, the division shall
activate the "Blue Alert� system and notify appropriate participants in the "Blue
Alert� system, as established by rule, if:
(1) A law enforcement agency believes that a suspect has not been apprehended;
(2) A law enforcement agency believes that the suspect may be a serious threat to the
public; and
(3) Sufficient information is available to disseminate to the public that could assist
in locating the suspect, or the missing peace officer. The area of the alert may be
less than statewide if the division determines that the nature of the event makes
it probable that the suspect did not leave a certain geographic location.
(e) Before requesting activation of the "Blue Alert� system, a law enforcement agency
shall verify that the criteria described in subsection (d) of this section has been
satisfied. The law enforcement agency shall assess the appropriate boundaries of the
alert based on the nature of the suspect and the circumstances surrounding the crime
or the last known location of the missing peace officer.
(f) The division shall terminate the "Blue Alert� with respect to a particular incident
if:
(1) The suspect or peace officer is located or the incident is otherwise resolved; or
(2) The division determines that the "Blue Alert� system is no longer an effective tool
for locating the suspect or peace officer. Law enforcement agencies shall notify the
division immediately when the suspect is located and in custody or the peace officer
is found.
(i) Any entity or individual involved in the dissemination of a "Blue Alert� generated
pursuant to this section shall not be liable for any civil damages arising from such
dissemination.