LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan will create an Amber Alert-like system to quickly warn people of mass shootings, terrorist attacks and other nearby “public threats.”
Legislation signed Friday by Gov. Rick Snyder was spurred by the random fatal shootings of six people in the Kalamazoo area in February.
The governor says existing technology will help disseminate emergency information to television and radio stations, cellphones and other wireless devices.
The measures also create criminal penalties for making a false report of a public threat and require offenders to reimburse governments for the cost of responding to false reports.
Michigan State Police spokeswoman Shanon Banner says the agency plans to create guidelines for issuing public threat alerts before the laws take effect in 90 days.
