Congressman Fred Upton says his goal is to get legislation creating an active shooter alert system approved in May during Police Week. He’s introduced the Active Shooter Alert Act, which would enable police to send out alert messages to those within the vicinity of an active shooting incident. Upton tells WSJM News the legislation would be helpful.
“We saw again this week the tragedy out west, where a live shooter killed a number of people, we’ve seen that in our district, we’ve seen it around the country, and it’s pretty harrowing, particularly for the folks that might live in the neighborhood, be a couple of block from where that situation might be,” Upton said. “They may not get the notice right away, they may not hear about it right away.”
The act would create an Active Shooter Alert Coordinator within the Department of Justice. Upton says that office would work with officials and law enforcement nationwide so police departments could set up alert systems. If a shooter was on the loose, nearby residents could be sent a phone notification. The systems would be voluntary, and the legislation has the backing of the National Sherriff’s Association, the National Association of Police Organizations, and the Fraternal Order of Police, among others.
