BLUE Alert heads to the governor

Friday March 2nd, the Senate passed BLUE Alert, House Bill 1820, unanimously. This bill, sponsored by Rep. Mike Hope, R-Lake Stevens, will help catch cop killers and others by mirroring the AMBER Alert system.

“If somebody harms law enforcement or first responder they are targeting all of us – they are targeting society. An attack on cops and firefighters is an attack on our way of life and social norms. This bill gives us new tools to catch the most dangerous criminals and those who disregard human life,” said Hope.

When the BLUE Alert system is set in motion, all the resources available to AMBER Alert -- like radio, TV and freeway billboards -- would be employed to locate someone suspected of killing a law enforcement officer or first responder. The concept first surfaced after the shooting of SPD Officer Timothy Brenton, who was killed on Halloween night 2009, and the murder of four Lakewood police officers.

Recently, the bill gained momentum after the shooting of State Trooper Tony Radulescu thanks to the advocacy efforts of Rene Maher, Executive Director of the Council of Metropolitan Police and Sheriff, and Keriann Shumate, Washington State Concerns of Police Survivors association.

State Rep. Mike Hope is a 14-year veteran of the Seattle Police Department.