E.P.P. 064
LONGWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT
ENFORCEMENT POLICY & PROCEDURE
NUMBER: EPP – 64
SUBJECT: FLORIDA BLUE ALERT PROGRAM
EFFECTIVE: AUGUST 1, 2022
REVISED: JULY 1, 2023
ENFORCEMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE
FLORIDA BLUE ALERT PROGRAM
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I. PURPOSE:
It is the policy of the Longwood Police Department to utilize the Florida Blue Alert System
when a Longwood Police Department officer is killed, has suffered serious bodily injury,
or is missing while in the line of duty and the suspect, who is considered to pose an
imminent threat to the public, is still at large
II. SCOPE:
This policy establishes guidelines and procedures to activate Florida Blue Alert.
III. GENERAL:
On May 5, 2008, Executive Order 2008-81 established the Law Enforcement Officer (LEO)
Alert Plan. This alert system was created in response to the increasing number of law
enforcement officers in the state who were killed, injured, or missing in the line of duty.
In 2011, the program was renamed the Florida Blue Alert Program, per Senate Bill 464.
Upon activation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Department of
Transportation (FDOT), and the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) will activate dynamic
highway message signs to immediately broadcast important information about the
offender/vehicle involved in an incident in which a law enforcement officer is injured,
killed, or missing.
IV. ACTIVATION CRITERIA:
A. When a law enforcement officer has been:
1. Killed,
2. Suffered serious bodily injury,
3. Assaulted with a deadly weapon, and/or,
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4. Missing while in the line of duty under circumstances evidencing concern
for the officer’s safety.
B. The suspect has fled the scene of the offense.
C. The agency investigating the offense determines that the suspect poses an
imminent threat to the public or to other law enforcement officers.
D. A detailed description of the suspect’s vehicle, or other means of escape, or the
license plate of the suspect’s vehicle is available for broadcasting (Note: To
activate FDOT’s message signs, vehicle descriptive information and a complete or
partial tag number must be available).
E. Dissemination of available information to the public may help avert further harm
or assist in the apprehension of the suspect.
F. If the law enforcement officer is missing, there is sufficient information relating
to the officer’s last known location and physical description, and the description
of any vehicle involved, including the license plate number or other identifying
information, to be broadcast to the public and other law enforcement agencies,
which could assist in locating the missing officer.
G. The local law enforcement agency of jurisdiction must recommend issuing the
Blue Alert.
V. PROCEDURES:
A. ACTIVATION PROCESS:
1. To activate a Florida Blue Alert, the following necessary information will
be gathered by the assigned Longwood Police Department investigator:
a. Description and/or identity of the suspect, if available,
b. Detailed description of the suspect(s) vehicle or other means of
escape,
c. Vehicle license plate number or partial number, if available, and,
d. Any other information that may assist in helping the public locate
the suspect.
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2. With the approval of the Criminal Investigations Division Lieutenant, or
designee, the investigator shall call the Florida Fusion Center (FFC)
Intelligence Watch and Warning (IWW) at 850-410-7645.
3. The regional FDLE on-call supervisor will work with the lead investigator
or the designee to ensure the activation criteria have been met and offer
assistance. The determination will be made if the alert will be displayed
regionally or statewide.
4. The assigned investigator or the designee and FFC/IWW will prepare
information for public dissemination, including suspect and/or vehicle
information.
5. Dissemination:
a. The Florida Fusion Center/Intelligence Watch and Warning will
notify law enforcement agencies throughout the state to include:
1. Contact with the Florida Highway Patrol’s Orlando
Regional Communications Center (ORCC) to send the LEO
Alert. The ORCC communications supervisor will relay
that information to other regional communication
centers where the activation is taking place.
2. Contact with FDOT’s Orlando Regional Transportation
Management Center to develop the message content
using the FDOT-approved template which includes
vehicle information, tag number and other identifiers.
3. The message will be displayed until the offender(s) is
captured or for a maximum of six (6) hours. The alert will
be displayed on dynamic highway message signs on all
requested highways unless a traffic emergency occurs,
which requires a motorist safety message to be
displayed. FDOT also will record a LEO Alert message on
the 511 system when the LEO Alert is activated.
4. The same activation steps will be used if there is revised
vehicle information, or a broadcast area is changed.
B. DEACTIVATION PROCESS:
1. Upon apprehension, the investigating officer shall notify the Florida
Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the offender(s) has been
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captured, and FDLE will contact the appropriate parties and cancel the
alert.
VI. COMMITTEE REVIEW
A. Activations of each Florida Blue Alert will be reviewed by a committee of state
agency partners and law enforcement representatives to ensure that the criteria
and goals are met and that activations took place in a timely fashion.