What is a Blue Alert in Texas?

HOUSTON — You probably have a nationwide blue Warning issued by Texas Department of Public Safetybut what exactly is a Blue Alert?

RELATED: Search underway for suspect after deputy killed in ambush, sheriff says

The Blue Alert, issued Thursday, was sent after a deputy sheriff was killed in an ambush in northeast Harris County and a manhunt was launched for a suspect.

Deputy Fernando Esqueda was 28 years old and had been with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office for five years. He was also a member of the HCSO’s Violent Person Task Force, which hunts down child molesters, murder suspects, and other violent offenders.

According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, Ronnie Palmer is wanted for aggravated assault on Wallisville Road. He is also one of the people connected to the deputy’s death. If you have any information on his whereabouts, contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).

Texas has eight standardized public safety messages coordinated by the Texas DPS. These messages are displayed in local media, on traffic signs, on social media, on smart devices, and on computer screens in stores that sell Texas Lottery products.

Here are the nationwide warnings and what they are used for:

Blue Alerts are issued to assist in the capture of individuals believed to have injured or killed local, state or federal law enforcement officers.

These are the criteria for a Blue Alert:

• A police officer must have been killed or seriously injured by an offender.
• The investigating law enforcement agency must determine that the offender poses a serious danger or threat to the public and other law enforcement officials.
• A detailed description of the offender’s vehicle, license plate or partial license plate must be available for public dissemination.
• The responsible investigative police agency must recommend the activation of the Blue Alert to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).

Texas is one of 34 states that currently have this system in place.

The CLEAR alert is designed to bridge the gap between missing children and seniors and help spread the word about adults who may have been abducted or are in immediate danger. This alert can also be used to locate potential suspects.

An AMBER Alert is issued for children ages 17 and younger who are believed to have been abducted.

These alerts are issued for missing persons who are 65 years of age or older and/or suffer from cognitive disabilities such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Similar to a Silver Alert, this category helps authorities locate someone diagnosed with an intellectual disability or developmental disorder.

The state’s Camo Alert notifies the public of missing active and former members of the United States Armed Forces, including the National Guard, Reserve, or Auxiliary units.

Following our power crisis during the 2021 winter storm, lawmakers created the Texas Power Outage Alert to notify you when the state’s power supply is insufficient to meet demand.

This notification is designed to warn people who are in the vicinity of shootings. The FBI defines an active shooter as someone who is actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area. These alerts are most commonly sent to smart devices and dynamic roadside signs.