The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has scheduled a statewide test of the Minnesota Blue Alert System at 1:10 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15th.

The Blue Alert was created as a tool to help locate suspects when a local, state or federal officer is killed or seriously wounded in the line of duty. There have been no blue alert activations since its creation in 2015.  The alert in Thursday’s test and in an actual blue alert would be distributed in several ways:

• Email, text message and/or fax to Minnesota media and subscribers to the Minnesota Crime Alert Network.
• A recorded emergency alert system message.
• Electronic highway message signs activated regionally or statewide, depending on information known to law enforcement at the time, although Thursday’s test will not be displayed on highway signs.

A blue alert includes many of the same types of information as is typically provided in an Amber Alert, including detailed vehicle information, information about the suspect and circumstances of the incident.  For more information, visit https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/bca/Pages/default.aspx.