Committee hears bill to create ‘blue alert’ for Puerto Rico police and first responders; agencies back measure with safeguards

A Senate Public Safety committee held a public hearing on Senate Project 1404, a measure to establish a “blue alert” system in Puerto Rico to notify the public and assist authorities in locating suspects who seriously threaten or kill police officers or to recover officers taken in the line of duty. Department of Public Safety witnesses and other agencies largely endorsed the proposal while urging careful definitions and procedural safeguards.

The Department of Public Safety, represented in the record by Lic. Miguel Candelario Piñeiro, told the committee the proposal aims to replicate existing island alert models (such as Amber and Silver alerts) adapted for law enforcement protection. “Apoyamos la aprobación del proyecto del senado ... catorce cero cuatro,” Candelario said, characterizing the bill as “un mecanismo atinado para salvaguardar la vida de nuestros policías.” He described a proposed Negociado de Investigaciones Especiales (NIE) that would provide specialized investigative capacity and whose agents…