The South Carolina House on Thursday passed along to the Senate a bill that would alert the public if a suspect shoots or kidnaps a police officer. The legislation would create a “Blue Alert” — similar to an “Amber Alert” for missing children– that warns the public about an at-large suspect who injured, killed, or kidnapped an officer.
The sponsor Rep. Eddie Tallon (R-Spartanburg) is a former State Law Enforcement Division agent himself. He said the alert system would help ensure more members of the public are also keeping their eyes open for the suspect.
“If someone will shoot a police officer, kidnap a police officer, or cause serious injury to them, they are a danger to society,” he told South Carolina Radio Network, “The quicker we can get them off the street, the better we are.”
SLED will operate the system, if it becomes law. Tallon said ten other states currently use “Blue Alerts.”
“It’ll be plastered all over the state, the interstate highways, on message boards, on radios and TVs,” he said, “The Amber Alert has proven to be very beneficial and we think the Blue Alert will be equally as beneficial.”
The bill passed the House unanimously Wednesday. It now heads to the Senate.
