Blue Alert System Gathering Support From Obama, Romney

Updated 10:30 p.m.

The founder of an alert system for endangered, missing or shot law enforcement has seemed to find some common political ground.

Tom Berry of Venice is the founder of Blue Alert, which is a system similar to the Amber Alert and Silver Alert systems, but sends out notices for law enforcement who are missing, endangered, seriously wounded or killed. 

"We want to nationalize it so when they go across the borders, everybody's going to know about what's happening," Berry told Patch. 

You can sign up at www.bluealert.us to receive e-mail and text alerts in case the alert is activated, he said.

Berry attended the Gov. Mitt Romney rally at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Thursday afternoon.

Berry has garnered support from both President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate for his system. The National Blue Alert Act passed the House of Representatives in May and has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to Berry.

Berry is trying to get the word out that both candidates support the bill.

"I commend the efforts of states who have already taken action to enact the Blue Alert systems to ensure that critical information is quickly and appropriately disseminated to law enforcement agencies when a police officer is injured or killed," Obama said in a statement. 

Romney supports the measure and hopes Congress will pass it. 

"Over the last two Congresses, the National Blue Alert Act has mirred in a legislative dispute relating to funding streams and funding levels," he said in a statement.

Florida was the first state to use the system, Berry said, after it was invented in 2008. It is now in 17 states, and he said if the Senate passes it, Obama has pledged to sign the system into law.

Another component of Blue Alert is its foundation.

The non-profit has three componets:

•Brings support to familes of fallen officers

•Work nationally to support agencies' safety through purchasing bullet proof vests, arms, ammunition and other equipment

•Maintain and promote Blue Alert as a national notification system

The foundation's website can be accessed at www.bluealertfoundation.org or call 855-456-2210.

Find Blue Alert on Twitter and Facebook.