Mont. Code Ann. § 44-2-801

This is the official text of Mont. Code Ann. § 44-2-801, part of Montana’s Code Ann — part of the compiled statutory law of Montana, published by the state as "Code Ann." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.

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44-2-801 Blue alert program

Official statutory text

44-2-801 . Blue alert program. (1) There is a state alert system known as the blue alert program within the department of justice.

(2) Upon request by a law enforcement agency, the department may activate the blue alert program if the department determines that:

(a) (i) a peace officer has been killed or seriously injured in the line of duty;

(ii) an individual suspected to have caused the death or injury is at large;

(iii) a law enforcement agency has determined that the individual referred to in subsection (2)(a)(ii) poses a serious threat to the public, other peace officers, or both; and

(iv) sufficient information exists about the individual referred to in subsection (2)(a)(ii) or about the death or injury so that the activation of the program would materially assist in the capture of the individual;

(b) a peace officer is missing in connection with official duties; or

(c) an imminent and credible threat exists that an individual intends to cause serious injury or death of a peace officer.

(3) Upon activation of the blue alert program, the department shall notify the following entities in the state or area in which the alert is established:

(a) all law enforcement agencies;

(b) individuals who, because of their proximity to the geographic area in which the death or injury occurred, may have observed the death or injury or the escape of the individual referred to in subsection (2)(a)(ii) or may themselves become a victim of that individual;

(c) individuals who may have a special relationship to the individual referred to in subsection (2)(a)(ii), such as a relative of that individual or a peace officer or other person within the criminal justice system who knows the individual; and

(d) other persons who the department determines would benefit from the notice.

(4) The department shall terminate the blue alert when it determines:

(a) that the individual referred to in subsection (2)(a)(ii) has been apprehended or when it determines that the blue alert will no longer materially assist in the capture of the individual;

(b) the peace officer referred to in subsection (2)(b) is no longer missing or it determines that the blue alert will no longer assist in locating the peace officer; or

(c) the threat referred to in subsection (2)(c) no longer exists or it determines that the blue alert will no longer materially assist in alleviating the threat.

(5) The department shall adopt rules to implement this section.

(6) As used in this section, the following definitions apply:

(a) "Law enforcement agency" has the meaning provided in 44-11-303 .

(b) "Peace officer" has the meaning provided in 46-1-202 .

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

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About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.