BILL ANALYSIS ------------------------------------------------------------ |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 839| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |1020 N Street, Suite 524 | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ------------------------------------------------------------ THIRD READING Bill No: SB 839 Author: Runner (R), et al Amended: 2/24/10 Vote: 21 SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE : 7-0, 3/23/10 AYES: Leno, Cogdill, Cedillo, Hancock, Huff, Steinberg, Wright SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8 SUBJECT : Emergency services: blue alert system SOURCE : Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriff California Association of Highway Patrolmen California Broadcasters Association California State Sheriffs Association Peace Officers Research Association of California DIGEST : This bill creates a blue alert system similar to the Amber Alert system to notify the public when a law enforcement officer has been attacked, as specified. ANALYSIS : Existing law, commonly known as "Amber Alert," provides that if an abduction has been reported to a law enforcement agency and the agency determines that a child 17 years of age or younger, or an individual with a proven mental or physical disability, has been abducted and is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death and there CONTINUED SB 839 Page 2 is information available that, if disseminated to the general public, could assist in the safe recovery of the victim, the agency, shall request the activation of the Emergency Alert System within the appropriate local area. (Section 8594(a) of the Government Code) Existing law provides that the Department of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in consultation with the Department of Justice (DOJ) as well as a representative from the California State Sheriffs' Association, the California Police Chiefs' Association and the California Peace Officers' Association shall develop policies and procedures providing instruction specifying how law enforcement agencies, broadcasters participating in the Emergency Alert System, and where appropriate, other supplemental warning systems, shall proceed after a qualifying abduction has been reported to a law enforcement agency. (Section 8594(b) of the Government Code ) This bill establishes a "Blue Alert" system of public notification relating to emergencies endangering law enforcement officers modeled after Amber Alert, with the following specific features: 1. "Blue alert" will be defined to mean "a quick response system designed to issue and coordinate alerts following an attack upon a law enforcement officer," as specified. 2. Upon the request of an authorized person at a law enforcement agency that is investigating an attack upon a law enforcement officer, the CHP would be required to activate the Emergency Alert System and issue a blue alert if all of the following conditions are met: A. A law enforcement officer has been killed, suffers serious bodily injury, or is assaulted with a deadly weapon, and the suspect has fled the scene of the offense. B. A law enforcement agency investigating the offense has determined that the suspect poses an imminent threat to the public or other law enforcement personnel. SB 839 Page 3 C. A detailed description of the suspect's vehicle or license plate is available for broadcast. D. Public dissemination of available information may help avert further harm or accelerate apprehension of the suspect. E. The CHP has been designated to use the federally authorized Emergency Alert System for the issuance of blue alerts. This bill requires that the blue alert response system "employ the Emergency Alert System, as available, the Emergency Digital Information Service, local digital signs, focused text alerts, and other appropriate technologies." This bill requires, on or before December 31, 2011, the CHP to "augment the department's public Internet Web site to include a blue alert link that describes the "blue alert" process, objectives, and available quick responses. The Internet Web site shall explain that the term blue alert will communicate that a peace officer has been attacked or killed and that the scope of an alert will be tailored to the circumstances of the offense and available technologies." FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: No SUPPORT : (Verified 4/12/10) Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriff (co-source) California Association of Highway Patrolmen (co-source) California Broadcasters Association (co-source) California State Sheriffs' Association (co-source) Peace Officers Research Association of California (co-source) California Correctional Supervisors Organization Los Angeles Police Protective League Los Angeles Probation Officers' Union, AFSCME, Local 685 Orange County Board of Supervisors Riverside Police Officers' Association Riverside Sheriffs'Association Taxpayers for Improving Public Safety SB 839 Page 4 ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : The author states: "SB 839 would allow the California Highway Patrol to issue a Blue Alert, which is a quick response system designed to issue and coordinate alerts following an attack upon a law enforcement officer if the following conditions are met: A law enforcement officer has been killed, suffers serious bodily injury, or is assaulted with a deadly weapon, and the suspect has fled the scene of the offense; A law enforcement agency investigating the offense has determined that the suspect poses an imminent threat to the public or other law enforcement personnel; A detailed description of the suspect's vehicle or license plate is available for broadcast; Public dissemination of available information may help avert further harm or accelerate apprehension of the suspect; and The California Highway Patrol has been designated to use the federally authorized Emergency Alert System (EAS) for the issuance of "blue alerts." "Additionally, the Blue Alert response system shall employ the broad-based EAS after the federal government has established a Blue Alert code, as well as Emergency Digital Information Services (EDIS), local digital signs, focused cell phone text alerts, and all other appropriate technologies. "The proposed Blue Alert would serve the same function as the highly successful AMBER Alert, namely, it would quickly and effectively get many pairs of eyes looking for a criminal who kills or assaults a law enforcement SB 839 Page 5 officer. "It is common for law enforcement personnel at these crime scenes to have some information about these violent individuals, including a general description or a partial license plate number, which emphasizes the need to use California's existing emergency alert system to allow the public to partner with law enforcement officials in the hunt for criminals who are clearly a threat to society. "As the AMBER Alert system has demonstrated time and again throughout the United States, a quick response is vital. "Currently, Texas is the only state using Blue Alerts. Oklahoma has legislation ready to be introduced. "Allowing the CHP to employ the broad-based EAS, after the federal government has established a Blue Alert code as well as EDIS, local digital signs, focused cell phone text alerts, or other appropriate technologies to activate a Blue Alert will ensure that its rare use is an efficient and cost effective way to bring together the necessary resources to assist in quickly locating cop killers who often flee the scene of the crime in a vehicle, as evidenced by the number of multiple officers killed in Oakland and Seattle last year." RJG:mw 4/12/10 Senate Floor Analyses SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE **** END ****