2023 New York Laws › EXC - Executive › Article 35 - Division of Criminal Justice Services › 837-W*2 - Blue Alert System.

* §  837-w.  Blue  alert  system.  1.  There is established within the
division a blue alert system to aid in the identification, location  and
apprehension  of  any  individual or individuals suspected of killing or
seriously wounding any police officer.
2. For the purposes of this section:
(a) The term "blue alert" shall mean information sent through the blue
alert system related to:
(i) the serious injury or death of a law enforcement  officer  in  the
line of duty;
(ii)  an  officer  who  is  missing  in  connection with the officer's
official duties; or
(iii) an imminent and credible threat that an  individual  intends  to
cause the serious injury or death of a law enforcement officer.
(b)  The  term "law enforcement agency having jurisdiction" shall mean
the chief law enforcement officer of the village, town, city, county, or
the  division  of  state  police  that  is  investigating   an   offense
necessitating the use of a blue alert.
(c)  The  term  "law  enforcement officer" shall mean a state or local
police officer.
3. Upon the request of a law enforcement agency  having  jurisdiction,
the  division  shall  issue  a  blue  alert when public dissemination of
available  information  may  help  avert  further  harm  or   accelerate
apprehension  of  the  suspect. Such blue alert may be disseminated on a
regional or statewide basis. Nothing in this section shall require a law
enforcement agency having jurisdiction to request a blue  alert  in  any
circumstance  described  in  paragraph  (a)  of  subdivision two of this
section or to participate in the dissemination of information under  the
blue alert system.
4.   The   division   shall   coordinate   with   the   department  of
transportation, the division of state police, and police  agencies,  and
may   also  coordinate  with  public  commercial  television  and  radio
broadcaster organizations, to effectuate notifications  under  the  blue
alert  system.    Information  disseminated pursuant to a blue alert may
include, but shall not be limited to,  a  detailed  description  of  the
suspect's  vehicle  or  license  plate  number  and  the name of the law
enforcement agency that requested the alert.
5. The division may coordinate with additional state agencies  capable
of  providing urgent and timely information to the public, together with
television and radio broadcasters  and  other  private  entities,  where
appropriate,  and  if  authorized  and under conditions permitted by the
federal government, that consent to participate in the dissemination  of
urgent public information.
6.  The  division shall develop criteria and procedures for activation
of the blue alert system, and shall regularly review the function of the
blue alert system and revise its criteria and procedures to provide  for
efficient and effective public notifications.
7.  The  provisions of this section shall only apply in the event that
the division  has  been  designated  to  use  the  federally  authorized
Emergency Alert System for the issuance of blue alerts.
8.   The  division  is  hereby  authorized  to  promulgate  rules  and
regulations for the implementation of the blue alert system pursuant  to
this section.
* NB There are 2 § 837-w's