[EAS] LP Thread / Blue Alert comment from Vermont

[Phil Johnson]

Washington State elected not to use the so-called and ill-advised "Blue
Alert."  It was opposed by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police
Chiefs, local LE agencies, the Washington State Association of Broadcasters,
the Washington SECC, and my son -- an 18-year veteran Seattle Police
Officer.

Police departments all over the country know very quickly through their own
dedicated communication systems when someone bent on doing harm to cops is
headed in their direction or is already there.  And the EAS Law Enforcement
warning (LEW) can be used by local police to warn citizens about murderous
scumbags on the loose, if they deem that notification important to public
safety.

In my view, the "Blue Alert" is an unneeded and ineffective tool whose only
purpose is to let politicians claim they're "doing something" about cop
shootings, none of which would have been prevented by this so-called alert.
It should be done away with.

Phil Johnson

From: EAS [mailto:eas-bounces at radiolists.net] On Behalf Of Richard Rudman

I'm still wondering what politicians and police agencies hope to accomplish
with Blue Alerts that could not be accomplished with existing EAS codes.

Granted legacy "SAME" EAS lacks the ability to provide specific text
information, but IPAWS sure does.