98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2013 and 2014
HB2893

 

Introduced , by Rep. Robert F Martwick

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Blue Alert System Act. Establishes a statewide alert system known as "Blue Alert" which shall be developed and implemented by the Director of State Police. Provides that the "Blue Alert" system may be activated when a suspect for a crime involving the death or serious injury of a peace officer has not been apprehended and law enforcement personnel have determined that the suspect may be a serious threat to the public and also when a peace officer becomes missing while in the line of duty under circumstances warranting concern for the peace officer's safety. Provides that the Director shall terminate any activation of the "Blue Alert" system with respect to a particular incident if: (1) the suspect or peace officer is located or the incident is otherwise resolved; or (2) the Director determines that the "Blue Alert" system is no longer an effective tool for locating the suspect or peace officer.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB2893LRB098 07712 RLC 37789 b

1    AN ACT concerning criminal law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Blue
5Alert System Act.
 
6    Section 5. Statewide alert system for suspects of crimes
7involving death or serious injury of a peace officer; alert
8system for missing peace officer.
9    (a) As used in this Section:
10        "Department" means the Department of State Police.
11        "Director" means the Director of State Police.
12        "Law enforcement agency" means a law enforcement
13    agency with jurisdiction over the search for a suspect in a
14    case involving the death or serious injury of a peace
15    officer or an agency employing a peace officer who is
16    missing in the line of duty.
17        "Peace officer" has the meaning ascribed to it in
18    Section 2-13 of the Criminal Code of 2012.
19    (b) There is established a statewide alert system known as
20"Blue Alert" which shall be developed and implemented by the
21Director.
22    (c) The "Blue Alert" system may be activated when a suspect
23for a crime involving the death or serious injury of a peace

 

 

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1officer has not been apprehended and law enforcement personnel
2have determined that the suspect may be a serious threat to the
3public and also when a peace officer becomes missing while in
4the line of duty under circumstances warranting concern for the
5peace officer's safety.
6    (d)(1) The Director is the statewide coordinator of the
7alert system.
8    (2) The Director shall adopt rules and issue directives as
9necessary to ensure proper implementation of the alert system.
10The rules and directives shall include instructions on the
11procedures for activating and deactivating the alert system.
12    (3) The Director shall prescribe forms for use by local law
13enforcement agencies in requesting activation of the alert
14system.
15    (4) The Department shall recruit public and commercial
16television, radio, cable, print, and other media, private
17commercial entities, State or local governmental entities, the
18public, and other appropriate persons to assist in developing
19and implementing the alert system.
20    (5) The Department may enter into agreements with
21participants in the alert system to provide necessary support
22for the alert system.
23    (6) A State agency participating in the alert system shall:
24        (A) cooperate with the Department and assist in
25    developing and implementing the alert system;
26        (B) establish a plan for providing relevant

 

 

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1    information to its officers, investigators, or employees,
2    as appropriate, once the alert system has been activated;
3    and
4        (C) utilize a rapid response telephone system that
5    alerts residents in a targeted area.
6    (7) The Department of the Lottery is directed to develop a
7method of notifying its vendors within an alert area of an
8alert in a manner designed to disseminate alert information to
9customers of retail establishments that sell lottery tickets.
10    (e) Upon notification by a law enforcement agency that a
11suspect in a case involving the death or serious injury of a
12peace officer has not been apprehended and may be a serious
13threat to the public, the Director shall activate the "Blue
14Alert" system and notify appropriate participants in the "Blue
15Alert" system, as established by rule, if:
16        (1) a law enforcement agency believes that a suspect
17    has not been apprehended;
18        (2) a law enforcement agency believes that the suspect
19    may be a serious threat to the public; and
20        (3) sufficient information is available to disseminate
21    to the public that could assist in locating the suspect.
22    The area of the alert may be less than statewide if the
23Director determines that the nature of the event makes it
24probable that the suspect did not leave a certain geographic
25location.
26    (f) Upon notification by a law enforcement agency that a

 

 

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1peace officer is missing while in the line of duty under
2circumstances warranting concern for the peace officer's
3safety, the Director shall activate the "Blue Alert" system and
4notify appropriate participants in the "Blue Alert" system if
5sufficient information is available to disseminate to the
6public that could assist in locating the missing peace officer.
7The area of the alert may be less than statewide if the
8Director determines that the nature of the event makes it
9probable that the officer is within a certain geographic
10location.
11    (g) Before requesting activation of the "Blue Alert"
12system, a law enforcement agency shall verify that the criteria
13described by subsection (e) or (f) of this Section have been
14satisfied. The law enforcement agency shall assess the
15appropriate boundaries of the alert based on the nature of the
16suspect and the circumstances surrounding the crime or the last
17known location of the missing peace officer.
18    (h) The Director shall terminate any activation of the
19"Blue Alert" system with respect to a particular incident if:
20        (1) the suspect or peace officer is located or the
21    incident is otherwise resolved; or
22        (2) the Director determines that the "Blue Alert"
23    system is no longer an effective tool for locating the
24    suspect or peace officer.
25    Law enforcement agencies shall notify the Director
26immediately when the suspect is located and in custody or the

 

 

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1peace officer is found.
2    (i) Any entity or person involved in the dissemination of a
3"Blue Alert" generated under this Section is not liable for any
4civil damages arising from that dissemination.