How many of you woke up to that blue alert this morning on your phone in Texas? Many people were startled to see that flash across the screen before the sun was even up.
What exactly are these alerts and how does this whole thing work? A lot of people are talking about this event that went statewide. Even people who are hundreds of miles away from where this event happened. So let’s dive into the event a little bit.
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Seth Altman: Why Blue Alert In Texas
For those who maybe haven’t seen it yet, we’re talking about the blue alert that was issued for 33-year-old Seth Altman. Seth Altman in wanted in connection with the shooting of a police chief in Memphis, Texas late last night.
To understand why your phone might have been buzzing this morning, even if you’re nowhere near the panhandle, it helps to understand what’s the purpose behind a blue alert in the first place. These alerts are designed to be a rapid response system when a law enforcement officer has been killed or very seriously injured in the line of duty. And so it’s really a way to get information out to the public as quickly as possible so we can all do our part to help apprehend someone that poses a very serious and ongoing threat.
So in this case, we’re talking about a police chief, Rex Plant, who was serving a warrant in Memphis, Texas last night when he was shot, allegedly, by this Seth Altman.
According to the details that we have so far from WFA, it sounds like Chief Plant was hospitalized. But thankfully he’s in stable condition. But the fact that we have a suspect in this case who allegedly shot a law enforcement officer and then fled the scene, that’s what triggers that blue alert system. And it makes you wonder if you’re Seth Altman and you’re potentially on the run from this thing, where do you go? Of course you’re not going to hang around the scene of the crime.
Why Use Blue Alert?
Why does Texas, along with many other states, use a statewide blue alert system for this? Because in this day and age, somebody can cover a lot of ground in not a lot of time. And so it essentially turns all of our phones into a digital dragnet. It greases the chances of someone somewhere spotting this suspect no matter where they’re headed.
So it’s not just about finding someone who might have committed a crime. It’s about a direct and serious and potentially very mobile threat to other law enforcement and the public.
In the case of Seth Altman, he was last seen on foot around 11 p.m. last night near a major highway. And so that detail alone, that’s enough to widen the search area considerably. For sure, he could be long gone from Memphis by now, which is why getting that info out statewide as quickly as possible is essential.
What To Do When You See Blue Alert?
So you’re driving down the road, or maybe on your way to work or you’re out running errands and this alert pops up on your phone. What are you actually supposed to do with that information? Well, the first thing is don’t panic.
It’s easy to go into a little bit of a tailspin when you see an alert like that. But the most important thing is to stay calm and just take a second to process the information. Because we’ve all seen those movie scenes, you know, where the alert goes out and suddenly everyone is like, you know, glued to their car radios, looking around suspiciously at every other driver. Like they’re the criminal mastermind. And that’s not really helpful in a situation like this.
What you want to do is look at the alert. You know, is there a description of a suspect? Is there vehicle information? What are the authorities asking people to do? So no need to, you know, go full-on vigilante then.
The most important thing to remember in a situation like this is if you think you’ve seen someone that matches the description, do not approach them. Do not try to apprehend them yourself. That is law enforcement’s job. But what you can do is just as vital. If you think you’ve seen this person call 911 immediately, and give them your location. Give them any details you can remember about what you saw. Your call could be the key to bringing this situation to a safe and swift resolution. Yeah.
It’s kind of like we’re an extra set of eyes and ears for law enforcement in a way. That’s a great way to put it. Kind of crowdsourcing public safety. That’s a great way to put it because the truth is, you know, law enforcement, can’t be everywhere all the time. And especially in a situation like this where you have someone who may be trying to slip away unnoticed. And having that extra layer of awareness from the public can make all the difference. Okay.
Why a Blue Alert is Issued
So let’s talk a little bit more about how these alerts are actually issued. Sure. Because we’ve been talking about, you know, Seth Altman, this specific case in Memphis. But how does the system work more broadly? Right. What are the criteria for sending out a blue alert in the first place?
That’s a really important question. Yeah. It’s not like every time a law enforcement officer is injured a blue alert goes out statewide. The WFAA article that we have actually goes into some detail about the specific criteria that the Texas Department of Public Safety uses to make that determination.
First and foremost, an officer has to have been killed or seriously injured by a suspect during the commission of a crime. So that’s the baseline. That’s not the only suspect.
In addition to that, the suspect must pose what they call an ongoing serious risk to the public or other law enforcement. So basically they have to have a reasonable belief that this person is still a clear and present danger.
Not just that they committed a crime in the past. So there has to be an active threat to public safety. That’s the idea. They’re trying to prevent further harm, not just apprehend someone after the fact.
The third criterion is that there has to be enough descriptive information about the suspect to make the alert useful.
You can’t very well ask people to be on the lookout if you can’t give them any details about who they’re looking for. So the alert has to include things like a physical description of the suspect, maybe what they were last seen wearing, and any vehicle information if they have it.
information has to be reliable enough that the public can use it to help locate the suspect. So putting all this together, it sounds like the authorities in this case with Seth Altman, believe that he meets all those criteria.
He’s accused of a very serious crime against a police officer. He’s considered armed and dangerous. They have enough information about him to share with the public that will hopefully lead to his capture.
Conclusion
Blue Alert is a pretty remarkable tool and in this case, it highlights how these alert systems, can be used to mobilize not just law enforcement, but entire communities to respond to a potential threat.
So it’s like this collective awareness kicks in, a shared sense of responsibility for keeping each other safe. Because even if you aren’t in immediate danger from whatever the thing is, that doesn’t mean that someone else isn’t. And by being aware of what’s going on, even if it feels far away, you could potentially help someone else stay safe, maybe without even realizing it.
You never know that one time that you take an extra second to look at the information in a blue alert. To be aware of your surroundings when you’re out and about, that it can make all the difference.
Blue alerts are serious business. They’re not sent out lightly. And when you get one, it means that there is a credible threat to public safety that requires your attention. So take a moment to really understand the information, be aware of your surroundings. And if you think you might’ve seen the suspect, do not approach them under any circumstances. Call 911 immediately and report what you know.
