Someone famous once said “timing is everything.”
We experienced an example of this in our public safety committee this week.
As you’ve likely heard, around 10:00 Tuesday morning a man became involved in a shootout with police officers in St. Louis Park. This led to an extensive manhunt through Hopkins, St. Louis Park and eventually Jordan, where the suspect was found dead in a home Wednesday morning.
Around the time shots were being fired at law enforcement in St. Louis Park, the Minnesota House Public Safety Committee was hearing testimony about a bill that would help speed up the process of capturing people who critically injure or kill a police officer.
The “Blue Alert” system would allow broadcasters to immediately alert the public that a suspect is at large. It is modeled after the successful AMBER alert program, which is a partnership between law enforcement agencies, broadcasters, transportation agencies, and the wireless industry, to activate an urgent bulletin in the most serious child-abduction cases.
The proposal would create an effective alert system between public and commercial television and radio broadcasters and law enforcement in order to help apprehend someone suspected of killing or seriously wounding a local, state, or federal law enforcement officer.
According to the bill’s author, the alerts would include descriptions of the suspects, vehicle descriptions and license plate numbers if available, the location of the incident and any other relevant information that could be helpful to the public.
Apprehending a dangerous suspect who is on the loose often cannot happen without tips from the public. But giving Minnesotans critical details of a potential cop killer as soon as the information is available would not only help nab the suspect, but prevent that person from committing more acts of violence as he or she attempts to elude law enforcement.
I think the Blue Alert bill is a great idea, and was happy to support it in the public safety committee. I have a tremendous appreciation for the men and women who serve in all levels of law enforcement and am hopeful this system will be beneficial not only to our police officers but to broadcasters and our residents.
As always, I am interested in your feedback. Please feel free to contact me by e-mail at Rep.Kathy.Lohmer@House.MN or contact my office at 651-296-4244. You can also send mail to my office address: 501 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.