CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO)– Ohio’s Blue Alert notification system asks the public for help when a law enforcement officer’s life is in danger.

According to the National Fraternal Order of Police’s monthly update,108 law enforcement officers have been shot in the line of duty through April 30 of this year nationwide. Fourteen of those officers lost their lives in those four months.

The dangers of policing have hit close to home recently in Northeast Ohio. Three officers have been killed since 2024: Lorain Police Officer Phillip Wagner, Cleveland Police Officer Jamieson Ritter and Euclid Police Officer Jacob Derbin.

We spoke with Joe Mannion, president of the Greater Cleveland Peace Officers Memorial Society, about the importance of Blue Alerts.

He retired as a lieutenant with Ohio State Highway Patrol after more than 27 years.

“An officer wants to go home every day just like everybody else from their job, a normal person’s job. The dangers, they know what they’re getting into, but it still doesn’t hide the fact that, hey, we’re human,” he said.

The system has been activated multiple times for emergencies in Northeast Ohio, including when three Lorain police officers were shot in July 2025 and Officer Phillip Wagner died, and when Euclid Officer Jacob Derbin was shot and killed in May 2024.

How Blue Alerts work

Two criteria must be met for a Blue Alert to be issued in Ohio.

First, a law enforcement officer has been seriously injured or killed and a suspect has not been caught, or an on-duty officer is missing and their safety is at risk.

Second, there must be enough information on the suspect or circumstances to show that its activation could help find a suspect or a missing officer.

“The police needs the public’s help to be alert if something’s going on in their area and to make sure they keep their eyes open and report something that they see,” Mannion said.

Ohio created the Blue Alert system in 2012. According to the Ohio Attorney General’s office, Blue Alerts don’t happen very often.

We reached out to the Ohio Department of Public Safety to see how many times they have sent out Blue Alerts, but we have not heard back yet.

Across the nation, 37 states have Blue Alert plans.

How to receive alerts

In Ohio, Blue Alerts go out over social media and email. They may also appear on signs while driving on the highway.

Unlike Amber Alerts, Blue Alerts do not automatically appear on phones. Those who want to receive Blue Alerts by phone or email must opt into the program through the Ohio Attorney General’s website here.

When it comes to Blue Alerts, Mannion said people who see a suspect should not try to apprehend them.

“Call 911 right away,” he said. “It’s for the safety of the community they’re in. And it helps keep a track of where the suspect might be heading by the different calls that the agencies receive while on this Blue Alert.”

You can learn more about Ohio’s Blue Alert program here.

National Police Week

A parade and memorial service is scheduled Friday in downtown Cleveland during National Police Week.

“Friday is really the big day,” Mannion said. “It’s when a lot of emotions are spent with the survivors. There’ll be new survivors coming into our fold. But the older survivors who’ve been around, they take them in. It’s one big family.”

The Greater Cleveland Peace Officers Memorial Society is hosting a number of events for National Police Week. You can find a list of the events here.

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