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

(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

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