1 

 

Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu National Blue 

Alert Act

REPORT TO CONGRESS

May 2019 

United States Department of Justice

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 
2 

Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act

REPORT TO CONGRESS

United States 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 (DOJ or 

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. 

Officer safety and wellness remains a top priority for the 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. Attorney General William Barr 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 officer safety and wellness issues. 

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

enforcement as well.

III. Coordinator Duties/Activites

The Blue 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:
3 

A. 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 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 47 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. 

B. 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: 

• A law enforcement organization representing rank-and-file officers

• Other law enforcement agencies and public safety communications 

• Broadcasters, first responders, dispatchers, and radio station personnel 

• Other individuals and organizations the Coordinator determines are necessary for the 

success of the network

As previously reported, the Coordinator established an Advisory Group that satisfies each 

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

organizations:2

2 The COPS Office has identified a Tribal law enforcement representative to join the Advisory Group and is 

finalizing arrangments.
4 

• Fraternal Order of Police (FOP)

• National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) 

• Blue Alert Foundation, Inc.

• International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) 

• National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA)

• National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) 

• Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO)

• National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives

• National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) 

• Concerns of Police Survivors 

• Georgia Bureau of Investigation 

• National Fusion Center Association (NFCA) 

• First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) 

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.

C. 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 
5 

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 

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. 

D. 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 

information sharing platform 
6 

• Annual Reports 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 at

https://leo.cjis.gov/leoContent/sigs/blue_alert/. 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) 

• 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. 

E. 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 continues to work with FirstNet, an independent authority within the 

Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration. 

FirstNet’s mission is to build, operate, and maintain the first high-speed nationwide wireless 

broadband network for interoperable public safety communications. 

The Attorney General is statutorily designated as a member of the FirstNet Board. The 

Executive Assistant Director of the FBI’s Science and Technology Branch serves as the Attorney 

General’s designee on the Board. In light of the similar equities between FirstNet and the Blue 

Alert Act, the COPS Office consulted with the now former President of FirstNet, whose 

expertise has been valuable in the development of the COPS Office’s national Blue Alert Act 
7 

strategy. FirstNet helps to streamline communications interoperability for states and tribes, thus 

further facilitating nationwide Blue Alert coordination.

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. 

F. 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 DOJ 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 three-letter 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 US territories, to include Tribal lands. The rule takes 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) becomes effective on July 18, 

2019. 

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

maintaining and operating the national Integrated Public Alert 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
8 

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

federal partners as needed.

G. 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 ‘battleplan’ 

targeted at the 19 states that have 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 

that could lead to the adoption of Blue Alert plans or systems. As of May 2019, Blue Alert 

legislation has been introduced in seven states while an eighth state is planning to take executive 

action to implement a Blue Alert plan.3

 In every case, the COPS Office has provided guidance 

and resources.

3 The following seven states have introduced Blue Alert legislation: Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, New Jersey, 

New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Vermont is planning to adopt Blue Alert via executive action.

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

enforcement conferences, including 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.

H. Coordination with United States Attorneys’ Offices. In addition to the ‘battleplan’ 

coordination described above, the COPS Office continues to expanded its partnerships with US 

Attorneys’ Offices throughout the nation to promote the National Blue Alert Network. In 

addition to direct coordination with US Attorneys, COPS Office staff share information with 

Law Enforcemnt 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. 
9 

IV. Blue Alerts Issued

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

period. 

• May 30, 2018 – Dickson County, TN Sergeant Daniel Baker was shot and killed 

while responding to a call about a suspicious vehicle. Dispatchers lost contact with 

Sergeant Baker after he arrived at the scene and other officers were sent to make 

contact with him. His vehicle was tracked by GPS and located several miles away by 

an officer from another agency. His body was located inside of the vehicle. 

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued a Blue Alert for the suspect. The 

suspect was located and taken into custody two days later. It is unclear how the Blue 

Alert may have impacted locating and apprehending the suspect. 

• December 26, 2018 – Newman, CA Police Corporal Ronil Singh was shot and killed 

while conducting a vehicle stop before 1:00 am. Approximately three minutes after 

initiating the stop he radioed dispatch that shots had been fired. Responding officers 

found Corporal Singh at the scene suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was 

transported to a local hospital where he died. 

The California Highway Patrol issued a Blue Alert for the suspect, who was finally 

located two days later in Bakersfield, California. The California Highway Patrol 

reported that the Blue Alert was instrumental in identifying the suspect’s whereabouts 

and subsequent capture.

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 31 states that operate Blue Alert systems as well as those 25 

states and territories that currently do not have Blue Alert systems. This outreach enabled us to 

identify and establish Blue Alert points of contact across the country; this is a critical resource 

for law enforcement and the public, as no such resource had been in existence. The lack of such 
10 

a resource affected jurisdictions’ ability to communicate within states and across the country. 

Even in states with established Blue Alert plans, it was often difficult to identify important points 

of contact necessary for alert activation or interstate coordination. 

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 promptly notified and to facilitate 

interstate coordination. 

As previously reported, 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. 

• 55% (17 states) of plans contain provisions for officers missing in the line of duty 

• 19% (6 states) of states allow for activation in cases where an officer is threatened 

with a deadly weapon but not actually injured

• 65% (20 states) require sufficient descriptive information about a suspect to enlist the 

public’s assistance

• 52% (16 states) require a suspect vehicle description or license tag for activation
11 

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

states as of April 2019. 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. 

The COPS Office continues to examine and document the differences and commonalities 

between existing Blue Alert processes. The policies compendium will include 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 of Duty

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 
12 

published a report which documented all known shooting incidents for calendar year 2018. The 

following are notable statistics from the report:

• There were 204 incidents during calendar year 2018 resulting in 251 on-duty law 

enforcement officers being shot – including 32 incidents where multiple officers were 

shot 

• 51 law enforcement officers died from their injuries and 200 survived 

• There was a 24% increase in the number of law enforcement officers shot and killed 

during 2018 compared to 2017 

• Sheriffs and county law enforcement officers died at a higher rate (28%) as a result 

of being shot than their city/municipal counterparts (17%) 

• Disturbance calls (72) and traffic stops (39) accounted for more than half of all 

shooting incidents and resulted in 22 officer deaths

• 22 law enforcement officers were shot and 5 died as a result of being ambushed 

• Another 11 officers were shot and 3 died in situations that were not ambushes per se, 

but where the offender acted without warning in a premeditated/calculated manner 

taking an officer by surprise 

• Shootings occurred in 39 states and Puerto Rico

• California had the highest number of shooting incidents with 20, followed by Texas at 

19

• The highest number (27) of shooting incidents occurred during the month of July 

The COPS Office recently announced a competitive solicitation under the Community 

Policing Development program that will lead to an award of up to $100,000 for data collection

activities to help identify and document incidents where on-duty law enforcement officers are 

shot in the line of duty. 

VII. Summary of Activities and Projected Next Steps

A. Notable Past Developments/Activities. The Department reported the following 

developments and activities in its previous 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 

• Launched the National Blue Alert Network SIG on the FBI LEEP platform at 

https://leo.cjis.gov/leoContent/sigs/blue_alert/

• Conducted quarterly Advisory Group meetings 

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

• Identified all 56 state and territorial IPAWS authorizing officials

• Coordinated with FEMA to integrate Blue Alert plans into IPAWS
13 

• Visited the FEMA IPAWS lab and trained on alerting equipment and software, 

including conducting test Blue Alerts 

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

assistance to states and local agencies

• Performed immediate outreach to states after officers were killed to offer assistance 

and facilitate interstate coordination.

• 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 

B. Notable New Developments/Activities. The Department reports the following 

new developments and activities in this current report to Congress: 

• 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 July 18, 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.

• 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. 

• 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 launched a targeted outreach plan to establish working coalitions 

within each of the 19 states without Blue Alert laws/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 US 

Attorneys’ Offices in the affected states/districts. As a result, eight states have since 

taken action to commence the adoption of statewide Blue Alert plans. 

• 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.
14 

• 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.

• The Deputy National Blue Alert Coordinator presented information about Blue Alerts 

at the annual training conference for DOJ Law Enforcement Coordinators (LEC) in 

Columbia, South Carolina. LECs play a key role in US Attorneys’ Offices through 

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

• 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.

C. Upcoming Activities. The Department plans to undertake the following activities 

in the coming year in furtherance of its Blue Alert Mission: 

• Identify a contractor to assist with data collection of incidents where law enforcement 

officers are shot in the line of duty 

• 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 

• Coordinate with FEMA to conduct national call with state alerting officials to discuss 

how each is responding to the new BLU EAS event code 

• 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 
15 

Attachments:

• State Map of Blue Alert plans (March 2019) 

• Blue Alert Factsheet (May 2017) 

• 2018 Report of Officers Shot in the Line of Duty 

• Blue Alert web page screen image
HI

AK

OH

IN

OK

KS

OR

WA

CA

VT

NH

MA

NJ

DE

DC

CT

RI

MD

31

8

11

FL

MI

ME

IL

WI

TN

MS

NC

GA

SC

AL

IA

NY

PA

VA WV

KY

MN

SD

ND

ID

AZ

NV

AR

MO

LA

NE

MT

CO

TX

NM

WY

UT

Formal Statewide Blue Alert Plan

American Samoa...... AS

A-Virgin Islands........

Guam.........................

Mariana Islands........

Puerto Rico...............

VI

GU

MI

PR

Pending Blue Alert Legislation/Action

No Blue Alert Action

NATIONAL

BLUE ALERT NETWORK

MARCH 2019
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 

November 2018 
 

Law Enforcement Officers 

Shot in the Line of Duty 

2018 Year-End Summary 

JANUARY 2019 
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. 2019. Law Enforcement Officers Shot 

in the Line of Duty: 2018 Year-End Summary. Washington, DC: Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services. 

Published 2019 
NATIONAL BLUE ALERT NETWORK 

2018 - 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 give authorities an early warning 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 Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) 

was given the honor of implementing the Act and established the National Blue Alert Network. 

The National Blue Alert Network, administered by the COPS Office, 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 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 onduty officers are 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.

2018 NOTABLE STATISTICS 

• In calendar year 2018, 251 on-duty law enforcement officers were shot in 204 incidents, including

32 incidents where multiple officers were shot.

• Of those shot, 51 law enforcement officers died from their injuries and 200 survived.

• There was a 24 percent increase in the number of law enforcement officers shot and killed during

2018 compared to 2017.

• Sheriffs and county law enforcement officers who were shot died at a higher rate (28 percent) than

their city/municipal counterparts (17 percent).

• Disturbance calls (72) and traffic stops (39) accounted for more than half of all shooting incidents

and resulted in 22 officer deaths.

• 22 law enforcement officers were shot and 5 died as a result of being ambushed.

• Another 11 officers were shot and 3 died in situations where the offender acted without warning in

a premeditated/calculated manner taking an officer by surprise.

• Shootings occurred in 39 states and Puerto Rico.

• California had the highest number of shooting incidents at 20, followed by Texas at 19.

• The highest number (27) of shooting incidents occurred during the month of July.

1
NATIONAL BLUE ALERT NETWORK 

2018 - LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SHOT IN THE LINE OF DUTY 

2018 INCIDENT DATA 

There were 204 incidents in 2018 where law enforcement officers were shot in the line of duty a 2 

increase the number of incidents in 2017. However, the number of officers shot and killed increased by 

24 2017. 

INCIDENT DATA BY CIRCUMSTANCE 

Disturbance calls and traffic stops accounted for more than half of all shooƟng incidents. 17 law enforcement 

officers were shot and 5 died as a result of being ambushed. Another 11 officers were shot and 3 died in 

situaƟons where the offender acted without warning in a premeditated/calculated manner taking the officer 

by surprise—

. 

BULLET RESISTANT VESTS 

At least 14 officers were protected from gunshots by a protective ballistic vest. The actual number 

may be higher, but this element is not always apparent from news reporting. 

2
 

NATIONAL BLUE ALERT NETWORK
 2018 - LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SHOT IN THE LINE OF DUTY
 

AK 0 0 0 0 

AL 7 7 6 1 

AR 3 3 3 0 

AZ 10 12 9 3 

CA 20 24 20 4 

CO 11 14 12 2 

CT 0 0 0 0 

DC 0 0 0 0 

DE 0 0 0 0 

FL 10 11 7 4 

GA 10 12 8 4 

HI 3 3 2 1 

IA 0 0 0 0 

ID 3 4 4 0 

IL 7 8 6 2 

IN 6 6 4 2 

KS 4 6 3 3 

KY 6 6 4 2 

LA 8 8 8 0 

MA 3 4 2 2 

MD 4 6 5 1 

ME 1 1 0 1 

MI 6 8 7 1 

MN 1 2 2 0 

MO 7 12 11 1 

MS 3 4 2 2 

MT 0 0 0 0 

NC 8 8 7 1 

ND 0 0 0 0 

NE 3 3 3 0 

NH 0 0 0 0 

NJ 1 2 2 0 

NM 1 1 1 0 

NV 0 0 0 0 

NY 4 4 3 1 

OH 9 10 8 2 

OK 2 2 2 0 

OR 0 0 0 0 

PA 4 8 7 1 

PR 1 1 0 1 

RI 1 1 1 0 

SC 4 13 10 3 

SD 0 0 0 0 

TN 6 7 6 1 

TX 19 22 19 3 

UT 1 1 1 0 

VA 2 2 2 0 

VT 0 0 0 0 

WA 2 2 1 1 

WI 1 1 0 1 

WV 1 1 1 0 

WY 1 1 1 0 

204 251 200 51 

CA
 

TX
 

CO
 

AZ
 

FL
 

GA
 

OH
 

LA
 

NC
 

AL
 

IL
 

MO 

IN 

KY 

MI 

TN 

KS 

MD 

NY 

PA 

SC 

AR 

HI 

ID 

MA 

MS 

NE 

OK 

VA 

WA 

ME 

MN 

NJ 

NM 

PR 

RI 

UT 

WI 

WV
 

WY
 

AK
 

CT
 

DC
 

DE
 

IA
 

MT
 

ND
 

NH
 

NV
 

OR
 

SD
 

VT
 

20 

19 

11 

10 

10 

10 

9 

8 

8 

7 

7 

7 

6
 

6
 

6
 

6
 

4
 

4
 

4
 

4
 

4
 

3
 

3
 

3
 

3
 

3
 

3
 

2
 

2
 

2
 

1
 

1
 

1
 

1
 

1
 

1
 

1
 

1
 

1
 

1
 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 
 

 

NATIONAL BLUE ALERT NETWORK 

2018 - LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SHOT IN THE LINE OF DUTY 

INCIDENT LOCATION DENSITY MAP 

Officer shootings were reported in 39 states and Puerto Rico. California had the highest number of shooting 

incidents at 20, followed by Texas at 19 and Colorado at 11. No officer shootings were reported in 11 

states. The map below depicts shooting incident density across the ation.
 

NATIONAL BLUE ALERT NETWORK 

2018 - LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SHOT IN THE LINE OF DUTY 

INCIDENT DATA BY MONTH 

The highest number (27) of shooting incidents occurred during the month of July. The deadliest month was 

February, when 8 law enforcement officers died from shooting injuries. There were no shooting fatalities 

reported during the month of August. 

Incident data by month 

Month Shooting 

incidents 

Officers 

shot 

Number 

survived 

Number 

killed 

JAN 17 24 19 5 

FEB 22 29 21 8 

MAR 13 17 11 6 

APR 17 19 13 6 

MAY 14 14 11 3 

JUN 14 16 14 2 

JUL 27 33 27 6 

AUG 18 20 20 0 

SEP 16 20 15 5 

OCT 14 25 21 4 

NOV 17 17 14 3 

DEC 15 17 14 3 

204 251 200 51 

Incident month by frequency 

JUL
 

FEB
 22 

AUG 18 

JAN 17 

APR 17 

NOV 17 

SEP 16 

DEC 15 

MAY 14 

JUN 14 

OCT 14 

MAR 13 

Incident day by frequency 

WED

INCIDENT DATA BY DAY OF WEEK 

More shooting incidents occurred on Wednesdays and Thursdays than other days of the week. 

Incident data by day of week 

Day Shooting 

incidents 

Officers 

shot 

Number 

survived 

Number 

killed 

SUN 30 35 30 5 

MON 30 40 36 4 

TUE 23 30 24 6 

WED 38 48 36 12 

THU 35 42 31 11 

FRI 29 35 28 7 

SAT 19 21 15 6 

204 251 200 51 

THU 

MON 

SUN 

FRI 

TUE 

SAT 

38 

35 

30 

30 

29 

23 

19 

5

27 
 

 

 

NATIONAL BLUE ALERT NETWORK 

2018 – LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SHOT IN THE LINE OF DUTY* 

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC 2018 Totals 2017 Totals % Change 

Total number of shooting incidents 17 22 13 17 14 14 27 18 16 14 17 15 204 200 + 2% 

Total number of officers shot 24 29 17 19 14 16 33 20 20 25 17 17 251 252 0% 

Number of officers shot and survived 19 21 11 13 11 14 27 20 15 21 14 14 200 211 - 5% 

Number of officers shot and killed 5 8 6 6 3 2 6 0 5 4 3 3 51 41 + 24% 

204 Shooting Incidents / 251 Officers Shot Officer Shot and Wounded (200) Officer Shot and Killed (51) 

6 
This report contains data on law enforcement officers shot in the line of duty, both fatally and non-fatally, 

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. 

e011930903 

Published 2019