Senator George Runner
Serving the 17th District which incorporates portions of the Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Ventura and Kern counties.

SACRAMENTO –Sen. George Runner (R- Antelope Valley) today announced that the California Senate passed his legislation known as “Blue Alert,” which would use the existing statewide Amber Alert notification system when a peace officer has been killed, seriously wounded or assaulted with a firearm and the suspect has fled the scene.

“The proposed Blue Alert would serve the same function as the highly successful Amber Alert – specifically, it would quickly and effectively get many pairs of eyes looking for a criminal who assaults a peace officer,” said Runner who also authored California’s Amber Alert in 2003.

“As the Amber Alert system has demonstrated time and again throughout the United States, a quick response is vital.”

Investigators could immediately broadcast information through the Emergency Broadcast System on television and radio and on the freeway signs to alert public.

Runner said while many crime categories declined in 2009, the murder of peace officers increased by more than 25 percent nationally.

“Part of this disturbing trend was the killing of 15 officers in just 5 incidents. In California, four officers were killed in Oakland and six in Seattle last year,” Runner added.

Blue Alert is supported by the California State Sheriffs’ Association, which represents all 58 California county sheriffs and several other statewide law enforcement agencies.

The bill passed on a 37-0 vote and moves to the Assembly in the coming days. If it passes the Assembly and gains the governor’s approval, California will be one of first states to implement the system statewide.