2022 Delaware Code
Title 11 - Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Chapter 85. STATE BUREAU OF IDENTIFICATION
Subchapter VIII. Blue Alert Program for Apprehension of Persons Suspected of Killing or Injuring Law-Enforcement Officers
§ 8586. Activation of the Blue Alert Program.

Universal Citation:
11 DE Code § 8586 (2022)
Learn more This media-neutral citation is based on the American Association of Law Libraries Universal Citation Guide and is not necessarily the official citation.
§ 8586. Activation of the Blue Alert Program.

(a) The Blue Alert Program shall be activated when a suspect for a crime involving the death or serious injury of a law-enforcement officer has not been apprehended and may be a serious threat to the public. Upon notification by an investigating law-enforcement agency that a suspect in a case involving the death or serious injury of a peace officer has not been apprehended and may be a serious threat to the public, the investigating law-enforcement agency shall activate the Blue Alert system and shall notify appropriate participants in the Blue Alert system, as established by regulations promulgated pursuant to this subchapter, when the investigating law-enforcement agency believes that:

(1) A suspect has not been apprehended;

(2) A suspect may be a serious threat to the public; and

(3) Sufficient information is available to disseminate to the public that could assist in locating and apprehending the suspect.

(b) When a Blue Alert is activated pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the investigating law-enforcement agency shall provide the descriptive information to the Delaware Criminal Justice Information System and the National Crime Information Center system. The investigating law-enforcement agency shall also notify the Delaware Information Analysis Center, which shall make all necessary notifications and provide appropriate assistance to the investigating law-enforcement agency.

(c) When an investigating law-enforcement agency receives notice that a law-enforcement officer has been seriously injured or killed, the agency shall send an alert to designated media outlets in Delaware. The alert must include all appropriate information that may assist in the speedy apprehension of the suspect, including a statement instructing any person with information relating to the incident causing the serious injury or death of the law-enforcement officer to contact the investigating law-enforcement agency.

(d) The investigating law-enforcement agency shall assess the appropriate boundaries of the Blue Alert based on the nature of the suspect and the circumstances surrounding the crime. The Blue Alert area may be less than statewide if the investigating law-enforcement agency determines that the nature of the event makes it probable that the suspect did not leave a designated geographic location.

77 Del. Laws, c. 469, § 1; 
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