Office of the Assistant Attorney General Washington, D.C. 20530

July 8, 2020

 

The Honorable Michael R. Pence

President

United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510

Dear Mr. President:

Enclosed please find the Department of Justice (the Department) Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) Annual Report on the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu 

National Blue Alert Act to Congress (Pub. L. No. 114-12). Under the National Blue Alert Act, 

the Department is required to develop the national Blue Alert framework; determine and 

designate an Advisory Board; create voluntary guidelines for States; and identify and address the 

challenges facing States as they work to implement Blue Alert.

The Report focuses on the work of the COPS Office and the status and updates of the 

implementation of the National Blue Alert Act. Since designation of the COPS Office Director 

as the National Blue Alert Coordinator in June of 2016, the COPS Office has made tremendous 

progress in implementing the National Blue Alert Act.

We hope this information is helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact this office if we 

may provide additional assistance regarding this or any other matter.

Sincerely,

Prim Escalona 

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General

Enclosure

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Legislative Affairs
Office of the Assistant Attorney General Washington, D.C. 20530

July 8, 2020

 

The Honorable Charles E. Grassley

President Pro Tempore

United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510

Dear Mr. President:

Enclosed please find the Department of Justice (the Department) Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) Annual Report on the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu 

National Blue Alert Act to Congress (Pub. L. No. 114-12). Under the National Blue Alert Act, 

the Department is required to develop the national Blue Alert framework; determine and 

designate an Advisory Board; create voluntary guidelines for States; and identify and address the 

challenges facing States as they work to implement Blue Alert. 

The Report focuses on the work of the COPS Office and the status and updates of the 

implementation of the National Blue Alert Act. Since designation of the COPS Office Director 

as the National Blue Alert Coordinator in June of 2016, the COPS Office has made tremendous 

progress in implementing the National Blue Alert Act. 

We hope this information is helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact this office if we 

may provide additional assistance regarding this or any other matter.

Sincerely,

Prim Escalona 

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General

Enclosure

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Legislative Affairs
Office of the Assistant Attorney General Washington, D.C. 20530 

 July 8, 2020

 

The Honorable Mitch McConnell 

Majority Leader

United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510 

Dear Mr. Leader:

Enclosed please find the Department of Justice (the Department) Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) Annual Report on the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu 

National Blue Alert Act to Congress (Pub. L. No. 114-12). Under the National Blue Alert Act, 

the Department is required to develop the national Blue Alert framework; determine and 

designate an Advisory Board; create voluntary guidelines for States; and identify and address the 

challenges facing States as they work to implement Blue Alert. 

The Report focuses on the work of the COPS Office and the status and updates of the 

implementation of the National Blue Alert Act. Since designation of the COPS Office Director 

as the National Blue Alert Coordinator in June of 2016, the COPS Office has made tremendous 

progress in implementing the National Blue Alert Act. 

We hope this information is helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact this office if we 

may provide additional assistance regarding this or any other matter.

 Sincerely,

 

Prim Escalona 

 Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General

Enclosure 

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Legislative Affairs
Office of the Assistant Attorney General Washington, D.C. 20530 

July 8, 2020 

 

The Honorable Charles E. Schumer 

Minority Leader

United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510 

Dear Senator Schumer: 

Enclosed please find the Department of Justice (the Department) Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) Annual Report on the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu 

National Blue Alert Act to Congress (Pub. L. No. 114-12). Under the National Blue Alert Act, 

the Department is required to develop the national Blue Alert framework; determine and 

designate an Advisory Board; create voluntary guidelines for States; and identify and address the 

challenges facing States as they work to implement Blue Alert. 

The Report focuses on the work of the COPS Office and the status and updates of the 

implementation of the National Blue Alert Act. Since designation of the COPS Office Director 

as the National Blue Alert Coordinator in June of 2016, the COPS Office has made tremendous 

progress in implementing the National Blue Alert Act. 

We hope this information is helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact this office if we 

may provide additional assistance regarding this or any other matter.

 Sincerely,

 

Prim Escalona 

 Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General

Enclosure 

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Legislative Affairs
Office of the Assistant Attorney General Washington, D.C. 20530

July 8, 2020

 

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi

Speaker of the House

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Madam Speaker:

Enclosed please find the Department of Justice (the Department) Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) Annual Report on the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu 

National Blue Alert Act to Congress (Pub. L. No. 114-12). Under the National Blue Alert Act, 

the Department is required to develop the national Blue Alert framework; determine and 

designate an Advisory Board; create voluntary guidelines for States; and identify and address the 

challenges facing States as they work to implement Blue Alert.

The Report focuses on the work of the COPS Office and the status and updates of the 

implementation of the National Blue Alert Act. Since designation of the COPS Office Director 

as the National Blue Alert Coordinator in June of 2016, the COPS Office has made tremendous 

progress in implementing the National Blue Alert Act.

We hope this information is helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact this office if we 

may provide additional assistance regarding this or any other matter.

Sincerely,

Prim Escalona 

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General

Enclosure

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Legislative Affairs
Office of the Assistant Attorney General Washington, D.C. 20530 

July 8, 2020 

 

The Honorable Steny H. Hoyer

Majority Leader

U.S. House of Representatives 

Washington, DC 20515 

Dear Mr. Leader:

Enclosed please find the Department of Justice (the Department) Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) Annual Report on the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu 

National Blue Alert Act to Congress (Pub. L. No. 114-12). Under the National Blue Alert Act, 

the Department is required to develop the national Blue Alert framework; determine and 

designate an Advisory Board; create voluntary guidelines for States; and identify and address the 

challenges facing States as they work to implement Blue Alert. 

The Report focuses on the work of the COPS Office and the status and updates of the 

implementation of the National Blue Alert Act. Since designation of the COPS Office Director 

as the National Blue Alert Coordinator in June of 2016, the COPS Office has made tremendous 

progress in implementing the National Blue Alert Act. 

We hope this information is helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact this office if we 

may provide additional assistance regarding this or any other matter.

 Sincerely,

 

Prim Escalona 

 Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General

Enclosure 

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Legislative Affairs
Office of the Assistant Attorney General Washington, D.C. 20530

July 8, 2020

 

The Honorable Kevin McCarthy

Minority Leader

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Congressman McCarthy:

Enclosed please find the Department of Justice (the Department) Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) Annual Report on the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu 

National Blue Alert Act to Congress (Pub. L. No. 114-12). Under the National Blue Alert Act, 

the Department is required to develop the national Blue Alert framework; determine and 

designate an Advisory Board; create voluntary guidelines for States; and identify and address the 

challenges facing States as they work to implement Blue Alert. 

The Report focuses on the work of the COPS Office and the status and updates of the 

implementation of the National Blue Alert Act. Since designation of the COPS Office Director 

as the National Blue Alert Coordinator in June of 2016, the COPS Office has made tremendous 

progress in implementing the National Blue Alert Act. 

We hope this information is helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact this office if we 

may provide additional assistance regarding this or any other matter.

Sincerely,

Prim Escalona 

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General

Enclosure

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Legislative Affairs
Office of the Assistant Attorney General Washington, D.C. 20530

July 8, 2020

 

The Honorable Lindsey Graham

Chairman

Committee on the Judiciary

United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510

Dear Mr. Chairman:

Enclosed please find the Department of Justice (the Department) Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) Annual Report on the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu 

National Blue Alert Act to Congress (Pub. L. No. 114-12). Under the National Blue Alert Act, 

the Department is required to develop the national Blue Alert framework; determine and 

designate an Advisory Board; create voluntary guidelines for States; and identify and address the 

challenges facing States as they work to implement Blue Alert. 

The Report focuses on the work of the COPS Office and the status and updates of the 

implementation of the National Blue Alert Act. Since designation of the COPS Office Director 

as the National Blue Alert Coordinator in June of 2016, the COPS Office has made tremendous 

progress in implementing the National Blue Alert Act. 

We hope this information is helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact this office if we 

may provide additional assistance regarding this or any other matter.

Sincerely,

Prim Escalona 

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General

Enclosure

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Legislative Affairs
Office of the Assistant Attorney General Washington, D.C. 20530

July 8, 2020

 

The Honorable Dianne Feinstein

Ranking Member

Committee on the Judiciary

United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Feinstein:

Enclosed please find the Department of Justice (the Department) Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) Annual Report on the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu 

National Blue Alert Act to Congress (Pub. L. No. 114-12). Under the National Blue Alert Act, 

the Department is required to develop the national Blue Alert framework; determine and 

designate an Advisory Board; create voluntary guidelines for States; and identify and address the 

challenges facing States as they work to implement Blue Alert. 

The Report focuses on the work of the COPS Office and the status and updates of the 

implementation of the National Blue Alert Act. Since designation of the COPS Office Director 

as the National Blue Alert Coordinator in June of 2016, the COPS Office has made tremendous 

progress in implementing the National Blue Alert Act. 

We hope this information is helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact this office if we 

may provide additional assistance regarding this or any other matter.

Sincerely,

Prim Escalona 

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General

Enclosure

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Legislative Affairs
Office of the Assistant Attorney General Washington, D.C. 20530

 July 8, 2020

 

The Honorable Jerrold Nadler 

Chairman

Committee on the Judiciary

U.S. House of Representatives 

Washington, DC 20515 

Dear Mr. Chairman:

Enclosed please find the Department of Justice (the Department) Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) Annual Report on the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu 

National Blue Alert Act to Congress (Pub. L. No. 114-12). Under the National Blue Alert Act, 

the Department is required to develop the national Blue Alert framework; determine and 

designate an Advisory Board; create voluntary guidelines for States; and identify and address the 

challenges facing States as they work to implement Blue Alert. 

The Report focuses on the work of the COPS Office and the status and updates of the 

implementation of the National Blue Alert Act. Since designation of the COPS Office Director 

as the National Blue Alert Coordinator in June of 2016, the COPS Office has made tremendous 

progress in implementing the National Blue Alert Act. 

We hope this information is helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact this office if we 

may provide additional assistance regarding this or any other matter.

 Sincerely,

 

Prim Escalona 

 Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General

Enclosure 

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Legislative Affairs
Office of the Assistant Attorney General Washington, D.C. 20530

July 8, 2020

 

The Honorable Jim Jordan

Ranking Member

Committee on the Judiciary

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Congressman Jordan:

Enclosed please find the Department of Justice (the Department) Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) Annual Report on the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu 

National Blue Alert Act to Congress (Pub. L. No. 114-12). Under the National Blue Alert Act, 

the Department is required to develop the national Blue Alert framework; determine and 

designate an Advisory Board; create voluntary guidelines for States; and identify and address the 

challenges facing States as they work to implement Blue Alert. 

The Report focuses on the work of the COPS Office and the status and updates of the 

implementation of the National Blue Alert Act. Since designation of the COPS Office Director 

as the National Blue Alert Coordinator in June of 2016, the COPS Office has made tremendous 

progress in implementing the National Blue Alert Act. 

We hope this information is helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact this office if we 

may provide additional assistance regarding this or any other matter.

Sincerely,

Prim Escalona 

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General

Enclosure

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Legislative Affairs
Office of the Assistant Attorney General Washington, D.C. 20530 

July 8, 2020 

 

The Honorable Jerry Moran 

Chairman

Committee on Appropriations 

Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies

United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510 

Dear Mr. Chairman:

Enclosed please find the Department of Justice (the Department) Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) Annual Report on the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu 

National Blue Alert Act to Congress (Pub. L. No. 114-12). Under the National Blue Alert Act, 

the Department is required to develop the national Blue Alert framework; determine and 

designate an Advisory Board; create voluntary guidelines for States; and identify and address the 

challenges facing States as they work to implement Blue Alert. 

The Report focuses on the work of the COPS Office and the status and updates of the 

implementation of the National Blue Alert Act. Since designation of the COPS Office Director 

as the National Blue Alert Coordinator in June of 2016, the COPS Office has made tremendous 

progress in implementing the National Blue Alert Act. 

We hope this information is helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact this office if we 

may provide additional assistance regarding this or any other matter.

 Sincerely,

 

Prim Escalona 

 Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General

Enclosure 

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Legislative Affairs
Office of the Assistant Attorney General Washington, D.C. 20530

July 8, 2020

 

The Honorable Jeanne Shaheen

Ranking Member

Committee on Appropriations

Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies

United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Shaheen:

Enclosed please find the Department of Justice (the Department) Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) Annual Report on the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu 

National Blue Alert Act to Congress (Pub. L. No. 114-12). Under the National Blue Alert Act, 

the Department is required to develop the national Blue Alert framework; determine and 

designate an Advisory Board; create voluntary guidelines for States; and identify and address the 

challenges facing States as they work to implement Blue Alert. 

The Report focuses on the work of the COPS Office and the status and updates of the 

implementation of the National Blue Alert Act. Since designation of the COPS Office Director 

as the National Blue Alert Coordinator in June of 2016, the COPS Office has made tremendous 

progress in implementing the National Blue Alert Act. 

We hope this information is helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact this office if we 

may provide additional assistance regarding this or any other matter.

Sincerely,

Prim Escalona 

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General

Enclosure

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Legislative Affairs
Office of the Assistant Attorney General Washington, D.C. 20530

July 8, 2020

 

The Honorable José Serrano

Chairman

Committee on Appropriations

Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Mr. Chairman:

Enclosed please find the Department of Justice (the Department) Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) Annual Report on the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu 

National Blue Alert Act to Congress (Pub. L. No. 114-12). Under the National Blue Alert Act, 

the Department is required to develop the national Blue Alert framework; determine and 

designate an Advisory Board; create voluntary guidelines for States; and identify and address the 

challenges facing States as they work to implement Blue Alert. 

The Report focuses on the work of the COPS Office and the status and updates of the 

implementation of the National Blue Alert Act. Since designation of the COPS Office Director 

as the National Blue Alert Coordinator in June of 2016, the COPS Office has made tremendous 

progress in implementing the National Blue Alert Act. 

We hope this information is helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact this office if we 

may provide additional assistance regarding this or any other matter.

Sincerely,

Prim Escalona 

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General

Enclosure

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Legislative Affairs
Office of the Assistant Attorney General Washington, D.C. 20530

July 8, 2020

 

The Honorable Robert Aderholt 

Ranking Member

Committee on Appropriations

Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Congressman Aderholt:

Enclosed please find the Department of Justice (the Department) Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) Annual Report on the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu 

National Blue Alert Act to Congress (Pub. L. No. 114-12). Under the National Blue Alert Act, 

the Department is required to develop the national Blue Alert framework; determine and 

designate an Advisory Board; create voluntary guidelines for States; and identify and address the 

challenges facing States as they work to implement Blue Alert. 

The Report focuses on the work of the COPS Office and the status and updates of the 

implementation of the National Blue Alert Act. Since designation of the COPS Office Director 

as the National Blue Alert Coordinator in June of 2016, the COPS Office has made tremendous 

progress in implementing the National Blue Alert Act. 

We hope this information is helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact this office if we 

may provide additional assistance regarding this or any other matter.

Sincerely,

Prim Escalona 

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General

Enclosure

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Legislative Affairs
1

Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu

National Blue Alert Act

Report to Congress

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
2

Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act

Report to Congress

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

I. Purpose

Pursuant to the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act of 2015, Pub. L. 

No. 114-12 (Blue Alert Act or Act), the United States Department of Justice (Department) 

provides this annual report to Congress.

II. Background

The Blue Alert Act was enacted to "encourage, enhance, and integrate" Blue Alert plans 

throughout the United States in coordination with states, units of local government, law 

enforcement agencies, and other appropriate entities(34 U.S.C. § 50502).

1 Named for two

fallen New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers who were ambushed, the Act is

intended to facilitate rapid dissemination of information to law enforcement agencies, the 

media, and the public that will aid in (1) apprehending violent criminals who have killed or 

seriously injured a law enforcement officer in the line of duty; (2) finding an officer when he or

she is missing in connection with his or her official duties; or (3) sharing notice of an imminent

and credible threat that an individual intends to cause the serious injury or death of a law

enforcement officer.

Officersafety and wellness remains a top priority forthe Department. The Department is 

committed to implementing the Blue Alert Act to protect the lives of the men and women who 

bravely serve in law enforcement. The Attorney General has consistently recognized the 

uniquely dangerous nature of police work and reiterated the Department's strong support of 

federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement.

The Department assigned the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services(COPS 

Office) with the honor of overseeing implementation of the Blue Alert Act and to create the 

National Blue Alert Network, based on its extensive work on officersafety and wellnessissues.

III. Coordinator Duties/Activities

TheBlue Alert Act requires an annual report to Congress on the activities of the National 

Blue Alert Coordinator and the effectiveness and status of Blue Alert plans that are in effect or 

being developed. The COPS Office dedicated significant time and effort to implement the 

Blue Alert Act and reports the following activities:

• Designation of National Coordinator and Deputy National Coordinator. The Blue Alert

Act requires the Attorney General to assign an existing officer of the Department to

act as the National Coordinator of the Blue Alert communications network to serve as 

 

1 While the legislation does not specifically mention Tribes, the COPS Office is working with Tribal law 

enforcement as well.
3

the nationwide point of contact for the development of a network and regional 

coordination of Blue Alerts through the network (34 U.S.C. § 50503(a)).

As noted in previous Reports to Congress, the Attorney General designated the 

Director of the COPS Office as the National Blue Alert Coordinator (Coordinator). 

In April 2018, the Attorney General appointed Phillip E. Keith as the Director of the 

COPS Office. Director Keith has more than 50 years of experience in the fields of 

criminal justice, public safety, and business administration. Thirty-four of those 

years were spent in active law enforcement service, including 17 years as Chief of 

Police of the Knoxville, Tennessee, Police Department. In addition to his service as a 

law enforcement officer, Mr. Keith has significant policy and administrative 

experience, including working directly with the COPS Office.

The Coordinator designated an existing COPS Office staff member, Vince 

Davenport, who has significant law enforcement experience as the Deputy National 

Blue Alert Coordinator (Deputy Coordinator) to assist in implementing the Blue Alert 

Act. The Coordinator also established the COPS Office Blue Alert Team consisting 

of existing federal staff with a broad range of expertise. This team meets regularly to 

discuss implementation strategies, timelines, and deliverables. Select members of the 

team have been trained to provide technical assistance to states and local and tribal 

law enforcement agencies seeking to establish Blue Alert plans or enhance an 

existing Blue Alert plan.

• Establishment of Advisory Group and Quarterly Meetings. Pursuant to the Blue Alert 

Act, the Coordinator is required to establish an Advisory Group to assist states, local 

governments, and other involved entities with initiating, facilitating, and promoting 

Blue Alert plans (34 U.S.C. § 50503(b)(5)). The Act requires the group to have 

geographically diverse representation and include the following representatives:

o A law enforcement organization representing rank-and-file officers;

o Other law enforcement agencies and public safety communications;

o Broadcasters, first responders, dispatchers, and radio station personnel;

o Other individuals and organizations the Coordinator determines are necessary 

for the success of the network.

As previously reported, the Coordinator established an Advisory Group thatsatisfies

each of the statutory requirements. Today, there are sixteen members representing the 

following organizations: 

o Fraternal Order of Police (FOP)

o National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO)

o Blue Alert Foundation, Inc.

o International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)

o National Sheriffs' Association (NSA)

o National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF)

o Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO)

o National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives

o National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)
4

o Concerns of Police Survivors

o Georgia Bureau of Investigation

o National Fusion Center Association (NFCA)

The Advisory Group meets on a quarterly basis. To date, Advisory Group members have 

provided valuable individual feedback to the COPS Office on our guidance and 

recommendations to states and local governments in developing or enhancing their Blue 

Alert plans. The COPS Office will add additional Advisory Group members or amend 

the frequency of meetings, as appropriate, consistent with the discretion granted to the

Coordinator by the Blue Alert Act.

Development of Voluntary Guidelines and Protocols

The Blue Alert Act requires the Coordinator to establish voluntary guidelines for states 

and local governments to use in developing Blue Alert plans. The guidelines must include a 

list of resources necessary to establish Blue Alert plans; criteria and guidelines for issuing Blue 

Alerts; guidelines to protect privacy and civil liberties; and guidelines aligned with the National 

Crime Information Center (NCIC) database operated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation 

(FBI) and any other relevant crime information repository (34 U.S.C. § 50503).

The Department has developed voluntary guidelines that address two complementary 

yet separate components of the Blue Alert Act: public alerts and law enforcement sensitive 

(LES) alerts. Public alerts directed at media outlets and affected communities provide suspect 

or missing officer information that is appropriate for public dissemination. LES alerts directed 

at affected law enforcement agencies provide sensitive information that is accessible only to 

law enforcement personnel. Public and LES alerts are often sent concurrently.

Unlike public Blue Alerts, LES Blue Alerts are limited to situations when an 

investigating agency needs to share information with other state or law enforcement agencies 

but has elected not to make suspect information publicly known. LES alerts are used when the 

investigating agency believes that making suspect information known publicly could 

jeopardize the criminal investigation or when the investigating agency believes that public 

alerting is not prudent given the facts known at the time. LES alerts are also used when there 

is a known credible threat to law enforcement in a particular jurisdiction and the investigating 

agency wishes to alert other law enforcement personnel in the affected jurisdictions or 

geographical area without making the threat known publicly.

To meet its statutory mandate to establish voluntary guidelines, the COPS Office issued 

Alert Guidelines (https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/blue-alert/blue alert guidelines.pdf) to provide 

general information on when a law enforcement agency should issue Blue Alerts consistent 

with the statutory criteria as set forth in the Blue Alert Act. Blue Alerts may be issued when 

one of the following sets of threshold criteria are met: 

(1) Death or serious injury of a law enforcement officer in the line of duty; 

(2) Law enforcement officer missing in connection with official duties; or 

(3) Threat to cause death or serious injury to a law enforcement officer.

To supplement the Alert Guidelines, the COPS Office developed Effective Blue Alert 
5

Plans: Guidance and Recommendations to help states and local agencies through the 

development process of Blue Alert plans; enhance and standardize existing state and local Blue 

Alert plans; and promote nationwide compatibility of Blue Alert plans. This comprehensive 

guidance identifies and addresses eight key elements to consider in developing new or 

updating existing Blue Alert plans: 

(1) activation criteria for alerts; 

(2) requesting alerts; 

(3) writing effective alerts; 

(4) geographic scope of alerts; 

(5) interstate and intrastate coordination of alerts;

(6) duration of alerts; 

(7) officer privacy protection; and 

(8) suspect apprehension efforts.

The COPS Office has worked closely with partners at the Federal Communications 

Commission (FCC) and Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) to establish 

the most effective way to deliver targeted alerts within the existing alerting infrastructure. We 

will also continue to work with law enforcement stakeholders and Advisory Group members to 

increase the effectiveness of our guidance.

Information Repositories and Delivery of Technical Assistance

Since October 2016, the COPS Office has maintained a dedicated webpage on our 

website at https://cops.usdoj.gov/bluealert to promote Blue Alerts and provide educational 

materials. This National Blue Alert Network webpage serves as a centralized resource center to

include, but not limited to, the following:

• Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act of 2015

• Blue Alert map indicating those states and territories with Blue Alert plans

• Alert Guidelines

• National Blue Alert Network factsheet

• Blue Alert Legislation Compendium

• State Blue Alert Officials Directory (public contact information)

• Information on who is eligible and how to access our secure controlled access 

• Annual Report to Congress

Since January 2017, the COPS Office has provided a secure web-based data repository 

maintained on the FBI Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal (LEEP) that provides controlled 

access to states, local governments, law enforcement agencies, and other qualified stakeholders 

as determined by the Coordinator. Individuals with existing LEEP or LEO.gov accounts can 

access the National Blue Alert Network Special Interest Group (SIG) directly through 

https://www.cjis.gov/CJISEAI/EAIController. The National Blue Alert SIG provides curated 

information that may not be appropriate for public dissemination to include, but not limited to, 

the following:

• State Blue Alert Officials Directory (24-Hour emergency contact information)
6

• National Blue Alert Network PowerPoint Presentation

• Effective Blue Alert Plans: Guidance and Recommendations

• Sample Blue Alert Policies

The COPS Office will continue to enhance the National Blue Alert Network webpage 

and SIG with updated and new information on a regular basis.

Notably, the Blue Alert Act prohibits the Coordinator from lobbying any state officer 

regarding the funding or implementation of a Blue Alert plan. The COPS Office does offer 

free informational resources and technical assistance to any state or local agency wishing to 

establish or modify its Blue Alert plans. Upon request by the state or local agency, trained 

COPS Office Blue Alert Team members will review Blue Alert plans and provide feedback to 

ensure compliance with the voluntary guidelines and protocols.

Engagement with Stakeholders

The COPS Office maintains active partnerships with varied stakeholders representing 

law enforcement and emergency communications in order to administer and expand the 

National Blue Alert Network. Stakeholder organizations play a key role in ensuring that the 

COPS Office is aware of relevant issues affecting officer safety and alerting technologies. The 

COPS Office will continue to work with stakeholders individually and collectively to develop 

and enhance our national strategy for the Blue Alert Act. We will also identify additional

stakeholders as needed.

Cooperation with Other Federal Agencies

The Act requires the Coordinator to cooperate with the FCC, the Department of 

Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Transportation (DOT), and other Department

offices as appropriate (34 U.S.C. § 50503(d)). As previously reported, the COPS Office 

established a point of contact with each of the identified federal agencies and the FBI. We 

have since forged strong working relationships with several key federal partners, most notably, 

the FCC and FEMA.

The FCC oversees the national Emergency Alert System (EAS) used to deliver 

important emergency information, such as AMBER alerts and weather information targeted to 

specific areas. The FCC plays a key role in alerting as it establishes the technical standards, 

activation procedures, and testing protocols. The FCC has sole authority to create fixed threeletter EAS event codes used to define alerts and the corresponding actions by broadcasters, 

cable system operators, wireless carriers, and other parties responsible for alerting the public.

On December 14, 2017, the FCC voted unanimously to approve the creation of a special 

three-letter EAS event code to be used by alerting authorities when issuing Blue Alerts – BLU. 

The new FCC rule constitutes a major advancement in alerting capabilities and will benefit all 

50 states and U.S. territories, to include Tribal lands. The rule took effect in two phases. The 

use of the BLU event code for alerts issued via television and radio went into effect on January 

18, 2019. The use of BLU for Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) became effective on 

November 29, 2019.
7

In tandem with the FCC's role in alerting, the DHS's FEMA is responsible for 

maintaining and operating the national Integrated Public Alerts and Warning System (IPAWS). 

In order to ensure that alerting capabilities keep up with current and emerging technologies, 

FEMA partners with various stakeholders from the public and private sectors representing 

broadcasting, mobile device manufacturers, and other interested industries.

States and many jurisdictions rely on IPAWS to utilize EAS and Wireless Emergency 

Alerts (WEA) to alert the public. IPAWS allows alerting authorities to write their own 

emergency alerts using commercially available software applications approved by FEMA and 

compliant with common alerting protocols. Alerts are authenticated and delivered 

simultaneously through multiple communication pathways to quickly reach the public.

The COPS Office will continue its ongoing coordination efforts with FEMA to advance 

the integration of Blue Alert Plans into IPAWS. The COPS Office will also continue to seek

consultation with, and ongoing advice from, our federal partners. We will also identify new 

federal partners as needed.

Promotion of the Blue Alert Act

Notably, the Blue Alert statute prohibits the Coordinator from conducting any official 

travel or hosting a conference for the sole purpose of implementing the Blue Alert Act (34 

U.S.C. § 50503(e)(3)). These restrictions have not prevented the COPS Office from promoting 

the Blue Alert Act, and we have undertaken a number of measures to raise awareness of the 

Blue Alert Act.

During this reporting period, the National Blue Alert Coordinator set forth a ‘battle 

plan’ to target states that had not yet adopted Blue Alert plans or systems. COPS Office staff 

partnered with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the affected states to identify select groups of law 

enforcement stakeholders who could assist with information sharing regarding the benefits of 

Blue Alerts and the resources of the National Blue Alert Network. The results led to the 

creation of ‘working coalitions’ of concerned stakeholders in the targeted states. Many of 

these coalitions have gone on to promote Blue Alert legislation and other actions leading to the 

adoption of Blue Alert plans or systems.

The Department promoted awareness of the Blue Alert Act at various national law 

enforcement conferences, including those held by the IACP, the Major Cities Chiefs 

Association, and the NSA. These conferences provide the potential outreach to promote the 

Blue Alert Act to tens of thousands of law enforcement officers and agencies. The Department 

also responded to multiple requests from various state law enforcement agencies for additional 

information about the Blue Alert Network. For instance, the Deputy National Blue Alert 

Coordinator traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, at the request of the Iowa Peace Officers 

Association to provide information and answer questions from state officials who were 

considering the adoption of a statewide Blue Alert plan.

Coordination with United States Attorneys' Offices

In addition to the ‘battle plan’ coordination described above, the COPS Office continues 

to expand its partnerships with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the nation to promote the 
8

National Blue Alert Network. In addition to direct coordination with U.S. Attorneys, COPS 

Office staff share information with Law Enforcement Coordinators (LECs) about issues 

affecting officer safety and Blue Alert related news. The Executive Office for United States 

Attorneys has been instrumental in facilitating coordination between the COPS Office and 

LECs.

IV. Blue Alerts Issued

There are ten known instances where Blue Alerts were issued during this reporting

period:

1. May 30, 2019 – Auburn, AL: Auburn police responded to a domestic disturbance 

call in a mobile home park. When officers arrived a suspect opened fire on the 

officers, striking three of them. One officer was killed and two other officers were 

injured. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Alabama Fusion Center issued 

a Blue Alert for the suspect. The suspect was captured within 24 hours.

2. May 29, 2019 - Cleveland, TX: - A Liberty County Sheriff’s deputy was 

responding to the scene of a shooting when he encountered the suspect fleeing the 

scene. After a brief vehicle pursuit, the suspect stopped his vehicle and shot the 

pursuing deputy before fleeing again. A Blue Alert was issued of the suspect. 

The suspect was found deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound an hour later. 

The deputy died 9 months after the shooting.

3. July 24, 2019 – Berryville, TX: A Henderson County Sheriff’s deputy attempted to 

stop a driver on a motorcycle for a traffic violation. The driver initially fled at a high 

rate of speed before eventually stopping. The driver shot the approaching deputy and 

fled. A Blue Alert was issued for the suspect. The suspect was captured within 24 

hours. The deputy survived.

4. August 1, 2019 – DeKalb County, GA: DeKalb County officers responded to a 

domestic disturbance where a woman had been shot. The suspect shot an officer as he 

approached the house then fled the scene. A Blue Alert was issued for the suspect. 

The suspect was captured eight days later. The officer survived.

5. August 7, 2019 – Henning, TN: A prisoner of the Tennessee Department of 

Corrections killed a prison official and escaped custody. The Tennessee Bureau of 

Investigation issued a Blue Alert for the suspect. The suspect was captured five days 

later.

6. September 5, 2019 – Dos Palos, CA: Merced County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 

domestic disturbance in Dos Palos. Upon arrival, one of the deputies was shot by a 

suspect who then fled. A Blue Alert was issued for the suspect. The suspect was 

captured within 24 hours. The deputy survived.

7. November 23, 2019 – Hayneville, AL: Lowndes County Sheriff responded to a 

disturbance call at a local gas station. The Sheriff was shot while investigating a 

group of people involved in the disturbance. A Blue Alert was issued for the suspect. 
9

The suspect was captured within 24 hours. The Sheriff died.

8. December 11, 2019 – Nassau Bay, TX: A Nassau Bay police sergeant stopped a 

vehicle for a traffic violation. While the officer and suspect were outside of their 

vehicles, the suspect jumped into his car and sped off, striking the officer. A Blue 

Alert was issued for the suspect. The suspect was captured within 48 hours. The 

officer died.

9. December 18, 2019 – Arvada, CO: An off-duty Denver police detective was at a 

gas station in Arvada during an armed robbery in progress. The detective 

intervened and attempted to shoot the robber but his weapon jammed. The robber 

shot the detective and fled. A Blue Alert was issued for the robbery suspect. The 

suspect was captured within 24 hours. The detective died.

10. February 5, 2020 – Kimberly, AL: A Kimberly police officer attempted to stop a 

vehicle for a traffic violation but the suspect fled at a high rate of speed. The 

suspect shot the pursuing officer and fled. A Blue Alert was issued for the 

suspect. The suspect was captured within 24 hours. The officer died.

V. Effectiveness and Status of Blue Alert Plans

In addition to reporting on the activities of the Coordinator, the Blue Alert Act also 

requires the annual report to Congress to include the effectiveness and status of Blue Alert 

plans (34 U.S.C. § 50503(f)). The effectiveness of existing Blue Alert plans is difficult to 

gauge at this time due in part to the disconnected nature of plans from state to state. There is 

no evidence, as of yet, that any of the states with Blue Alert plans have conducted research 

around this question. The COPS Office has begun collecting data as it becomes available in 

order to evaluate the effectiveness of Blue Alert plans.

As previously reported, the COPS Office made direct outreach calls to each of the 56 

states and territories. This includes 36 states that operate Blue Alert systems as well as those 

20 states and territories that currently do not have Blue Alert systems. Since implementation 

of the National Blue Alert Network, there have been numerous incidents where law 

enforcement officers were shot and killed, sparking a search for suspects. In response, the 

Deputy Coordinator contacted the affected state authorities to offer assistance and to ensure 

that neighboring states or jurisdictions were notified. The COPS Office also verified which 

states have Blue Alert plans and the extent to which the plans comport with the voluntary 

guidelines. We secured copies of Blue Alert plans and related materials such as program 

overviews, activation plans, legislation, and brochures from states that currently have Blue 

Alert plans.

To further our analysis of existing Blue Alert plans, the COPS Office publishes a 

legislation compendium containing the specific public laws, statutes, or executive orders that 

authorized and created Blue Alert systems. The following are highlights of the threshold 

activation criteria from those states. These highlights illustrate clear and significant 

differences between states that could limit or complicate coordination efforts when a suspect 

flees, or is thought to have fled, to another jurisdiction.
10

• 40% (20 states) of plans contain provisions for officers missing in the line of duty.

• 17% (6 states) of states allow for activation in cases where an officer is threatened 

with a deadly weapon but not actually injured.

• 69% (25 states) require sufficient descriptive information about a suspect to enlist 

the public's assistance.

• 58% (21 states) require a suspect vehicle description or license tag for activation.

The following table is a quick reference of threshold activation criteria for the featured 

states as of April 2020. The wide range of Blue Alert activation criteria among states

highlights the need for uniform guidance and consistent protocols to enhance coordination and 

maximize interoperability from one state to another.

*Blue Alert adopted through executive action - no legislation available to include in compendium ALAZCACOCTDEFLGAIDILINKS KYMD ME MI MN MS MO MT NHNCNDNJ OHOKRI SCSD* TNTX

UT*VAVT*W

A

W

V

OFFICER STATUS

Killed ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Attempted killing ●

Serious bodily Injury ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Life threatening injury ●

Assaulted with deadly 

weapon

● ● ● ● ● ●

Injured ●

Missing ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Concerning 

circumstances ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Last location known ● ● ● ● ●

SUSPECT

Poses serious threat to 

public ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Imminent threat to 

public or LE ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Sufficient suspect 

description ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Vehicle description or 

tag

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

OTHER

Alert may avert further 

harm ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Alert may hasten 

apprehension ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
11

The COPS Office continues to examine and document the differences and 

commonalities between existing Blue Alert processes. The policies compendium includes

state Blue Alert policies, forms, brochures, and promotional material from Blue Alert states 

that will be useful to states and law enforcement agencies in developing or improving their 

own Blue Alert systems.

VI. Officers Shot in the Line ofDuty

After working closely with the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and its continued 

commitment to officer safety, the COPS Office formalized a practice of monitoring and 

tracking incidents that could give rise to the issuance of a Blue Alert. The COPS Office uses 

DOJ Libraries-verified news reporting services to monitor and track shootings of law 

enforcement officers in the United States and its territories – specifically, shootings in which 

on-duty officers are wounded or killed.

The purpose of this practice is to better understand the nature and frequency of incidents 

that could give rise to the issuance of a Blue Alert; these types of felonious attacks account for 

nearly all situations where a Blue Alert would be issued. Tracking data does not include 

assaults by means other than firearms, due to inconsistent availability of data. The COPS 

Office published a report, which documented all known shooting incidents for calendar year 

2019. The following are notable statistics from the report:

• 273 law enforcement officers were shot in the line of duty during calendar year 2019 

in 224 separate incidents, including 34 incidents where multiple officers were shot. 

• 44 law enforcement officers died from their injuries and 229 survived.

• State law enforcement officers died at a slightly higher rate (22%) as a result of 

being shot than city and county officers (16%).

• Disturbance calls (68) and traffic stops (40) accounted for nearly half of all shooting 

incidents and resulted in 20 officer deaths.

• 32 law enforcement officers were shot and 11 died as a result of being ambushed. 

• Another 87 officers were shot and 14 died in situations where an offender acted 

without warning in a premeditated and calculated manner taking an officer by 

surprise.

• 34% of officers ambushed died of their injuries, compared to 17% of officers 

attacked by other means, making ambush-style attacks twice as lethal for victim 

officers than other shooting circumstances.

• 22 officers were protected from gunshots that struck a protective ballistic vest.

• Shootings occurred in 45 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

• Texas had the highest number of shooting incidents at 29, followed by California at 

14.

• The highest number (24) of shooting incidents occurred during the month of August.

VII. Summary of Activities and Projected Next Steps

Notable Past Developments/Activities

The Department reported the following developments and activities in its previous 
12

reports to Congress:

• Developed a wide variety of Blue Alert informational resources, including: 

o National Blue Alert Network factsheet and PowerPoint presentation;

o Compendium of state Blue Alert legislation and policies;

o Directory of state Blue Alert officials;

o Guidance and recommendations on developing or enhancing Blue Alert plans;

o Launched the National Blue Alert Network SIG on the FBI LEEP platform;

o Conducted quarterly Advisory Group meetings;

o Coordinated with FCC to create a dedicated Blue Alert EAS event code;

o Identified all 56 state and territorial IPAWS authorizing officials;

o Coordinated with FEMA to integrate Blue Alert plans into IPAWS;

o Visited the FEMA IPAWS lab and trained on alerting equipment and 

software, including conducting test Blue Alerts;

o Trained selected COPS Office Blue Alert Team members to provide technical 

assistance to states and local agencies;

o Performed immediate outreach to states after officers were killed to offer 

assistance and facilitate interstate coordination;

o Promoted awareness of the Blue Alert Act at various national law 

enforcement events, including the annual IACP conference and the National 

Officer Safety and Wellness Group forum;

o New FCC rules authorizing the use of "BLU," the Blue Alert EAS event code 

went into effect on January 18, 2019. The same FCC rule authorizes the 

issuance of Blue Alerts via Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) beginning on 

November 29, 2019. The combination of these rules taking effect will make 

it possible for alerting authorities throughout the nation to quickly issue Blue 

Alerts using existing alerting software and systems.

o Members of the COPS Office Blue Alert team and colleagues from the FCC 

were awarded the Attorney General's Award for Outstanding Contributions to 

Community Partnerships for Public Safety for their outstanding leadership in 

implementing Blue Alert plans throughout the U.S. in support of the Blue 

Alert Act.

o Members of the COPS Office Blue Alert team monitored media reports and 

other sources to identify possible Blue Alert situations. When practical, team 

members contacted the affected law enforcement agency to verify facts and 

offer assistance if needed.

o The COPS Office launched a targeted outreach plan to establish working 

coalitions within each state without Blue Alert laws and policies. The 

purpose of the outreach was to inform key stakeholders about the benefits of 

Blue Alerts and about the resources of the National Blue Network. All efforts 

were coordinated with U.S. Attorneys' Offices in the affected states and 

districts. 

o The National Blue Alert Coordinator attended dozens of conferences and 

meetings around the country where he promoted the use of Blue Alerts and 

resources offered by the COPS Office.

o The Deputy National Blue Alert Coordinator traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, at 

the request of the Iowa Peace Officers Association to provide information and 
13

answer questions from state officials who were considering the adoption of a 

statewide Blue Alert plan.

o The Deputy National Blue Alert Coordinator presented information about 

Blue Alerts at the annual training conference for DOJ LECs in Columbia, 

South Carolina. LECs play a key role in U.S. Attorneys' Offices through their 

support of state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies in their districts.

o The COPS Office published a report describing incidents where law 

enforcement officers were shot in the line of duty during calendar year 2018. 

The report was the first of its kind and provided meaningful insights into 

incidents that could give rise to the issuance of Blue Alerts.

Notable New Developments/Activities

The Department reports the following new developments and activities in this current 

report to Congress:

• Members of the COPS Office Blue Alert team monitored media reports and other 

sources to identify possible Blue Alert situations. When practical, team members 

contacted the affected law enforcement agency to verify facts and offer assistance if 

needed.

• The COPS Office continued outreach efforts to establish working coalitions within

states without Blue Alert laws and policies. The purpose of the outreach was to 

inform key stakeholders about the benefits of Blue Alerts and about the resources of 

the National Blue Network. All efforts were coordinated with U.S. Attorneys' 

Offices in the affected states and districts. 

• The National Blue Alert Coordinator attended dozens of conferences and meetings 

around the country where he promoted the use of Blue Alerts and resources offered 

by the COPS Office.

• The COPS Office published a report describing incidents where law enforcement 

officers were shot in the line of duty during calendar year 2019.

• The COPS Office created and framed certificates to present to states that have 

enacted statewide Blue Alert plans for the benefit of all law enforcement agencies 

within the state. The first presentation of a Blue Alert Certificate was to the state of 

Rhode Island on January 23, 2020.

• In 2019, the COPS Office awarded a $100,000 Community Policing Development 

grant to the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) for data collection activities to help 

identify and document incidents where on-duty law enforcement officers are shot in 

the line of duty. The FOP has a long history of research and involvement in the 

study of attacks on law enforcement.

Upcoming Activities

The Department plansto undertake the following activities in the coming year in
14

furtherance of its Blue Alert Mission:

• Conduct additional outreach to states and territories to raise awareness about the 

availability of free educational resources and technical assistance;

• Continue to work with the FCC, FEMA, and other federal partners to ensure 

effective coordination of Blue Alert rules and infrastructure;

• Continue to work with law enforcement stakeholders and Advisory Group 

members to increase the effectiveness of our guidance and recommendations;

• Continue to promote the Blue Alert Act to thousands of officers and agencies at 

upcoming law enforcement events;

• Identify fiscal needs for further implementation of the Blue Alert Act and make 

appropriate funding requests;

• Promote the Blue Alert Act with all active COPS Office award recipients;

• Continue with COPS Office Blue Alert Team meetings;

• Continue with quarterly Blue Alert Act Advisory Group meetings.

Attachments:

• State Map of Blue Alert plans

• Blue Alert Factsheet

• 2019 Report of Officers Shot in the Line of Duty

• Blue Alert web page screen image

• Rhode Island USAO Press Release

• DOJ Blue Alert Certificate Sample
36 States Formal Statewide 

April 2020

AmA‐V

GuaMaPue

NATIONALBLUE ALERT NETWORK

HI

AK

FL

MI

NY

PA

VA WV

OH

IL IN

WI

NC TN

AR

MO

GA

SC

KY

AL

LA

MS

IA

MN

OK

TX

NM

KS

NE

SD

ND

WY

MT

CO

ID

UT

AZ

NV

OR

WA

CA
U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 

 Fact Sheet www.cops.usdoj.gov

National Blue Alert Network
 

History 

In 2015, Congress passed the Rafael Ramos and 

Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act, named in 

honor of two New York City police officers killed in 

an ambush attack on December 20, 2014. The Act 

establishes a voluntary nationwide system to give police 

an early warning of threats against police officers and 

to aid in the apprehension of suspects who have killed 

or seriously injured an officer. In 2016, the COPS 

Office was asked to implement the Blue Alert Act and 

establish a National Blue Alert Network. 

Blue
Alerts


Blue Alerts provide for rapid dissemination of 

information to law enforcement agencies, media, 

and the public about violent offenders who have 

killed, seriously injured, or pose an imminent and 

credible threat to law enforcement. Blue Alerts can 

be transmitted via wireless devices and through the 

Emergency Alert System (EAS). The National Blue Alert 

Network works to encourage, enhance, and integrate 

Blue Alert plans throughout the United States. 

Blue Alert Activation Criteria 

Blue Alerts may be issued in any of the following 

circumstances, provided there is actionable information 

known about a suspect (e.g., name, physical description, or 

vehicle description): 

• When a law enforcement officer is killed or seriously injured in 

the line of duty 

• When an officer is missing in connection with official duties 

• When there is an imminent and credible threat to kill or 

seriously injure a law enforcement officer 

Blue Alert Resources 

The COPS Office provides resources and technical 

assistance to states, law enforcement agencies, and 

other stakeholders seeking to establish or enhance 

an existing Blue Alert plan. The National Blue Alert 

Network also maintains a secure data repository, for 

law enforcement only, containing many Blue Alert 

resources collected from around the nation, including 

examples of legislation, policies, forms, and a directory 

of state Blue Alert officials. 

For more information, visit the COPS Office website 

at www.cops.usdoj.gov/bluealert, email the COPS 

Office at BlueAlert@usdoj.gov, or call the COPS Office 

Response Center at 800-421-6770. 

Other Resources 

Federal Emergency Management Agency Integrated Public 

Alerting and Warning System (IPAWS) 

https://www.fema.gov/integrated-public-alert-warning-system 

Federal Communications Commission Emergency Alert 

System (EAS) 

https://www.fcc.gov/general/emergency-alert-system-eas 

Photo: 101cats/iStock 

January 2020
 

 

 

Law Enforcement Officers

Shot in the Line of Duty

2019 Year-End Summary

March 2020
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. 2020. Law Enforcement Officers Shot 

in the Line of Duty: 2019 Year-End Summary. Washington, DC: Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services. 

Published 2020
 

NATIONAL BLUE ALERT NETWORK 

2019 - SHOT IN THE LINE OF DUTY

NATIONAL BLUE ALERT NETWORK 

In 2015, Congress passed the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act, named in honor of two New 

York City police officers killed in an ambush attack on December 20, 2014. The Act directs the Department of 

Justice to establish a voluntary nationwide system to promote the use of early warnings of threats against law 

enforcement officers and to aid in the apprehension of suspects who have killed or seriously injured an officer. 

In 2016, the COPS Office was given the honor of implementing the Act and established the National Blue Alert 

Network.

The National Blue Alert Network seeks to encourage, enhance, and integrate Blue Alert plans throughout the 

United States. Blue Alerts provide for rapid dissemination of information to law enforcement agencies, media, 

and the public to aid in the apprehension of offenders who have killed, seriously injured, or pose an imminent 

and credible threat to law enforcement. Blue Alerts can be transmitted via wireless devices and through the 

Emergency Alert System (EAS) in the same manner as AMBER Alerts. 

TRACKING OFFICER SHOOTINGS

The COPS Office utilizes DOJ Libraries–verified news reporting services to monitor and track shootings of law 

enforcement officers in the United States and its territories—specifically, shootings of on-duty officers resulting 

in an officer being wounded or killed. In this way, it hopes to better understand the nature and frequency of 

incidents that could give rise to the issuance of a Blue Alert; these types of felonious attacks account for nearly 

all situations where a Blue Alert would be issued. Tracking data does not include assaults by means other than 

firearms, due to inconsistent availability of data. 

2019 SUMMARY DATA 

 273 law enforcement officers were shot in the line of duty during calendar year 2019 in 224 separate 

incidents, including 34 incidents where multiple officers were shot. 

 44 law enforcement officers died from their injuries and 229 survived.

 State law enforcement officers who were shot died at a slightly higher rate (22 percent) than city and county 

officers (16 percent).

 Disturbance calls (68) and traffic stops (40) accounted for nearly half of all shooting incidents and resulted in 

20 officer deaths.

 32 law enforcement officers were shot and 11 died as a result of being ambushed.1 

 Another 87 officers were shot and 14 died in situations where an offender acted without warning in a 

premeditated and calculated manner, taking an officer by surprise.

 34 percent of officers ambushed died of their injuries, compared to 17 percent of officers attacked by other 

means; making ambush-style attacks twice as lethal for victim officers than other shooting circumstances.

 22 officers were protected from gunshots that struck a protective ballistic vest.

 Shootings occurred in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

 Texas had the highest number of shooting incidents at 29, followed by California at 14.

 The highest number (24) of shooting incidents occurred during the month of August.

1

In order to identify any emerging patterns, more data was collected about ambush-style and calculated shootings during this reporting 

period than in 2018.
2019 - LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SHOT IN THE LINE OF DUTY

2019 INCIDENT DATA 

There were 224 incidents in 2019 where law enforcement officers were shot in the line of duty, a 10 percent

increase over the number of incidents in 2018. However, the number of officers who died as a result of being 

shot decreased by 14 percent from 2018.

2019 Totals 2018 Totals % Change 

Total number of shooting incidents 224 204 + 10%

Total number of officers shot 273 251 + 9%

Number of officers shot and survived 229 200 + 15%

Number of officers shot and killed 44 51 - 14%

INCIDENT DATA BY CIRCUMSTANCE 

Disturbance calls and traffic stops accounted for nearly half (48 percent) of all shooting incidents. The third most 

common circumstance involved the serving of warrants, typically performed by tactical teams.

Circumstance at Time of Incident

Circumstance Shooting 

incidents 

Officers 

shot

Number 

survived

Number 

killed 

Active shooter 3 7 7 0 

Disturbance call 68 75 63 12

Prisoner transport 2 2 2 0 

Robbery 20 24 19 5 

Shooting / Shots fired 16 23 21 2 

Other felony 22 29 24 5 

Suspicious person 16 15 13 2 

Traffic stop 40 45 37 8 

Warrant Service 28 44 38 6 

Other 9 9 5 4 

224 273 229 44

2

3

9

16

16

20

22

28

40

68

Prisoner transport

Active shooter event

Other

Shooting / Shots fired

Suspicious person

Robbery

Other felony

Warrant service

Traffic stop

Disturbance call

Incident Circumstance (high-low)

NATURE OF ATTACKS 

Every felonious attack on law enforcement officers, especially by gunfire, is disturbing regardless of the 

circumstances. Officers are always susceptible to life-threatening attacks and must practice the highest levels of 

officer safety. In most cases, officers are able to quickly assess situations, recognize threats, and take adequate 

defensive actions. Tragically, not every threat can be seen or mitigated. Perhaps most troubling and worrisome 

are ambush-style and other calculated attacks on law enforcement. 

Premeditated ambush-style attacks are particularly disturbing and pernicious. These types of attack are carried 

out with an element of surprise and intended to deprive officers of the ability to defend against the attack. 

Premeditated attacks contribute to a worrisome desensitization of evil acts that were once largely considered 

taboo except by the most depraved. In 2019, 42 percent of shooting incidents involved a discernable element of 

premeditation.
2019 - LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SHOT IN THE LINE OF DUTY

AMBUSH-STYLE ATTACKS 

There were 27 ambush-style incidents where officers were shot without any warning or opportunity to defend 

themselves, including several pre-planned assassinations. In many cases, officers were shot before they could 

exit their vehicles after an initial traffic stop or upon arrival at the scene of an incident. In all, 32 law 

enforcement officers were shot in ambush-style attacks, of whom 11 died. Thirty-four percent of officers 

ambushed died of their injuries, compared to 17 percent of officers shot under other circumstances, making 

ambush-style attacks twice as lethal for victim officers.

Examples of ambush-style attacks include the following:

 An officer was handling a traffic accident when an uninvolved subject rode by on a bicycle and shot the 

officer numerous times without warning and continued to fire when she fell to the ground. The officer died.

 Officers were dispatched to a domestic disturbance. The suspect hid behind a fence and waited for officers 

to arrive. As officers approached the house, the suspect shot an officer in the face. The officer survived.

 A sheriff’s deputy stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. After retrieving the driver’s identification, the 

deputy was shot in the back of the head while walking back to his cruiser. The officer died.

 An officer was sitting in his marked police cruiser at a police station when a suspect approached and shot 

the officer ten times in a planned assassination. The officer died.

CALCULATED ATTACKS 

In addition to ambush-style attacks, there were 68 incidents where offenders acted in a calculated and 

premeditated manner to shoot officers in the performance of their duties. These attacks differ only slightly from 

the more brazen ambush-style attacks in that officers may have had some reason to anticipate a threat. In all, 87

officers were shot in calculated attacks, of whom 14 died.

Examples of calculated attacks include the following:

 Officers were serving an arrest warrant at a residence when the suspect emerged from a bedroom and 

opened fire on officers. One officer died.

 A suspect was being pursued for armed robbery when he stopped his vehicle and fired a shotgun at an 

approaching officer. The officer survived.

 Deputies responded to reports of a home invasion in progress. The suspect fired a shot at the responding 

deputies from inside the home, striking a deputy in the chest. The deputy survived.

BULLET-RESISTANT VESTS 

At least 22 officers were protected from gunshots that struck a protective ballistic vest. The actual number may 

be higher, but this element is not consistently apparent from news reporting. 
2019 - LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SHOT IN THE LINE OF DUTY

INCIDENT DATA BY STATE

State Shooting 

incidents 

Officers 

shot

Number 

survived 

Number 

killed 

AK 1 1 1 0 

AL 9 12 6 6 

AR 4 4 2 2 

AZ 2 2 2 0 

CA 14 18 12 6 

CO 6 7 7 0 

CT 1 1 1 0 

DC 2 2 2 0 

FL 11 12 12 0 

GA 8 11 8 3 

HI 1 1 1 0 

IA 3 4 4 0 

ID 1 1 1 0 

IL 12 15 12 3 

IN 2 2 2 0 

KS 2 3 3 0 

KY 5 5 5 0 

LA 11 12 11 1 

MA 2 2 2 0 

MD 2 2 2 0 

ME 1 1 1 0 

MI 9 13 12 1 

MN 1 1 1 0 

MO 9 9 8 1 

MS 6 7 6 1 

MT 2 2 2 0 

NC 10 11 10 1 

NE 1 1 1 0 

NH 1 1 1 0 

NJ 2 7 6 1 

NM 1 1 1 0 

NV 2 2 2 0 

NY 5 6 6 0 

OH 6 7 5 2 

OK 3 4 4 0 

OR 3 4 4 0 

PA 5 10 10 0 

PR 2 2 0 2 

RI 1 1 1 0 

SC 2 2 2 0 

TN 4 5 4 1 

TX 29 34 27 7 

UT 1 1 0 1 

VA 6 6 5 1 

WA 5 9 7 2 

WI 4 4 2 2 

WV 4 5 5 0 

224 273 229 44

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

3

3

3

4

4

4

4

5

5

5

5

6

6

6

6

8

9

9

9

10

11

11

12

14

29

AK

CT

HI

ID

ME

MN

NE

NH

NM

RI

UT

AZ

DC

IN

KS

MA

MD

MT

NJ

NV

PR

SC

IA

OK

OR

AR

TN

WI

WV

KY

NY

PA

WA

CO

MS

OH

VA

GA

AL

MI

MO

NC

FL

LA

IL

CA

TX

Incidents by State
2019 - LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SHOT IN THE LINE OF DUTY

INCIDENT LOCATION DENSITY MAP 

Officer shootings were reported in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Texas had the highest 

number of shooting incidents at 29, followed by California at 14. The next highest number of incidents in a state 

was 12 reported in Illinois. No officer shootings were reported in 5 states (DE, ND, SD, VT, WY). The map below 

depicts shooting incident density across the nation.

City

62%

County

28%

State

9%

Federal

1%

INCIDENT DATA BY AGENCY TYPE 

62 percent of all shooting incidents involved city or municipal law enforcement agencies. The data and chart 

below depict incidents based on agency type. State law enforcement officers who were shot died at a 

slightly higher rate (22 percent) than city and county officers (16 percent). 

Incidents by Agency Type

Agency 

type

Shooting 

incidents 

Officers

shot

Number 

survived 

Number 

killed 

CITY 138 167 142 25

COUNTY 63 81 67 14

STATE 21 23 18 5 

FEDERAL 2 2 2 0 

224 273 229 44

Incidents by Agency Type
2019 - LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SHOT IN THE LINE OF DUTY

INCIDENT DATA BY MONTH 

The highest number of shooting incidents (24) occurred during the month of August. The deadliest months were

February, May, June, November, and December, when 5 law enforcement officers died from shooting injuries. 

Incident Data by Month

Month Shooting

incidents

Officers 

shot

Number 

survived

Number 

killed 

JAN 18 25 21 4 

FEB 17 23 18 5 

MAR 15 17 13 4 

APR 21 23 21 2 

MAY 15 19 14 5 

JUN 21 22 17 5 

JUL 20 20 17 3 

AUG 24 36 34 2 

SEP 17 17 14 3 

OCT 12 16 15 1 

NOV 21 26 21 5 

DEC 23 29 24 5 

224 273 229 44

12

15

15

17

17

18

20

21

21

21

23

24

OCT

MAY

MAR

SEP

FEB

JAN

JUL

NOV

JUN

APR

DEC

AUG

Incidents by Month

INCIDENT DATA BY DAY OF WEEK 

More shooting incidents occurred on Fridays and Tuesdays than other days of the week.

Incident Data by Day of Week

Day Shooting 

incidents

Officers 

shot

Number 

survived

Number

killed

SUN 26 30 23 7 

MON 28 36 31 5 

TUE 38 50 44 6 

WED 25 33 29 4 

THU 30 36 32 4 

FRI 40 49 43 6 

SAT 37 39 27 12

224 273 229 44

25

26

28

30

37

38

40

WED

SUN

MON

THU

SAT

TUE

FRI

Incidents by Day of Week
NATIONAL BLUE ALERT NETWORK

2019 - LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SHOT IN THE LINE OF DUTY

224 Shooting Incidents/ 273 Officers Shot Officer Shot and Wounded (229) Officer Shot and Killed (44)

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC 2019 2018 % Change 

Total number of shooting incidents 18 17 15 21 15 21 20 24 17 12 21 23 224 204 + 10% 

Total number of officers shot 25 23 17 23 19 22 20 36 17 16 26 29 273 251 + 9% 

Number of officers shot and survived 21 18 13 21 14 17 17 34 14 15 21 24 229 200 + 15% 

Number of officers shot and killed 4 5 4 2 5 5 3 2 3 1 5 5 44 51 - 14% 

* Assaults with firearms on on-duty law enforcement officers resulting in an officer being wounded or killed in calendar year 2019. 

Does not include assaults by means other than firearms due to inconsistent availability of data. Markers represent approximate geographic location. 
This report contains data on law enforcement officers shot in the line of duty, both fatally and nonfatally, for the purpose of better understanding the nature and frequency of incidents that could give rise 

to the issuance of a Blue Alert. Blue Alerts provide for rapid dissemination of information to law 

enforcement agencies, media, and the public to aid in the apprehension of offenders who have killed, 

seriously injured, or pose an imminent and credible threat to law enforcement. 

U.S. Department of Justice 

145 N Street NE 

Washington, DC 20530

www.cops.usdoj.gov. 

e032003942

Published 2020


 	

		

	
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