The FCC is receiving thousands of complaints regarding the Blue Alert shooting in Texas

NORTH TEXAS — North Texas residents understand the danger, but are still trying to understand the timing of the cell phone alert following the officer shooting in Memphis, Texas.

The blue alert blared through cell phones and rattling appliances, startling Texans with an unscheduled 5 a.m. awakening. The Texas Department of Public Safety has issued a recovery notice for Seth Altman, who is wanted for the attempted murder of a peace officer.

“Yeah, so I was supposed to get up in about an hour,” Jordan Stickler said. “Then I heard the alarm go off and it scared me for a moment.”

Stickler and many others thought this sound signaled an amber alert, but it did not. Brad Elmore and his wife Audrey have five children, including one toddler.

“This one seemed louder than usual for some reason,” Elmore said.

His wife was worried that the noise would wake their baby when a flurry of devices started turning on.

“He practically ignored it,” Audrey Elmore said. “My phone went off, his phone went off, our watches went off, and then my daughter’s phone went off, so I heard it throughout the house.”

Texans did not like the disruption in the morning and filed complaints with the Federal Communications Commission. A spokesman said the FCC has received nearly 4,000 complaints about Blue Alert. The agency has not yet determined how it will handle the submitted documents.

Blue Alerts are on the law books and have been operating in Texas since 2008. DPS sent a statement regarding its function.

“We would like to remind the public that Blue Alerts are urgent public safety warnings intended to warn people of possible danger. “They are intended to expedite the apprehension of violent criminals who kill or seriously injure law enforcement officers by generating leads and leads for investigative agencies, thereby providing those agencies with the best opportunity to apprehend a dangerous criminal,” DPS said.

Some even wonder whether the state should take a closer look at the law. North Texans say the danger and immediacy were a greater disruption than any action they could take for public safety.

“But the crazy thing was that it was eight hours away. So it was quite far away, which made me wonder, why did we get it?” Stickler said.

Brad Elmore said such cases can desensitize the public to warnings. DPS said it had to implement the alert when the time came.

“The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is responsible for managing many alerts as part of a statewide alert program. Each of these alerts – along with the criteria necessary to meet them – is established under regulations enacted by the Texas Legislature,” DPS said. .

The Elmores became benefactors of these alerts. Recently, Brad Elmore’s father went missing for 12 hours. DPS issued a silver alert. He was located.

“It might be nerve-wracking right now, but you know, you have to catch yourself,” Elmore said. “I may have to pay attention because someone’s loved one is missing. And you know, I might see a clue that could save her life.”