What is a Blue Alert?
Specific criteria must be met before the TBI Criminal Intelligence Unit can issue a Blue Alert.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued two Blue Alerts on Tuesday, but many are left wondering: what is a Blue Alert?
The TBI began issuing Blue Alerts on July 1, 2011. Like Amber Alerts, they are used to spread information quickly to apprehend criminals and locate missing people. Blue Alerts are specifically for the death or severe injury of a law enforcement officer where the suspect is not in custody. A Blue Alert can also be issued when an officer goes missing on duty, and foul play is suspected.
Specific criteria must be met before the TBI Criminal Intelligence Unit can issue a Blue Alert. The requirements are as follows:
- A sworn law enforcement officer is killed, sustains life-threatening injuries or missing in the line of duty under circumstances where the officer’s safety is in question.
- The suspect(s) pose(s) a threat to the community or law personnel.
- A description of the suspect or a vehicle is available to broadcast.
- Before a Blue Alert goes into effect, if the suspect is identified, the agency that requests the alert must enter the suspect in the temporary felon file in the National Crime Information Center and obtain felony warrants as soon as possible within 24 hours.
- The head of any Tennessee law enforcement agency, Colonel of the Highway Patrol, Chief, Sheriff or their designee of the investigating law enforcement agency requests TBI to activate the Blue Alert.
Before Tuesday, the last Blue Alert was issued in 2019 for Curtis Watson, who was charged with the murder of a corrections administrator.
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