A Silver Alert is active for Jason Chen, a 65-year-old man last seen on foot near 3rd Street and McKinnon Avenue in San Francisco's Bayview district around 2:17 p.m. yesterday. Chen stands about five feet six inches tall, weighs approximately 167 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a gray and blue sweater with a black hoodie underneath and blue jeans, according to police, and authorities believe he is on foot.
The California Highway Patrol activated the alert on behalf of the San Francisco Police Department, as first reported by KRON4. Anyone who spots Chen is asked to call 911 immediately. The area where he was last seen sits along Third Street, the Bayview's primary commercial corridor, which is served directly by the SFMTA Muni T-Third light rail line connecting the neighborhood to downtown San Francisco, according to the California Transportation Commission.
How the Alert System Works
California's Silver Alert system is governed by Government Code § 8594.10, enacted through a 2012 bill, which allows CHP to issue an alert at a local agency's request when a missing person is 65 or older, developmentally disabled, or cognitively impaired and considered at risk under unexplained circumstances, per the California Highway Patrol. Once requested, CHP routes activation through its Emergency Notification and Tactical Alert Center, known as ENTAC, which coordinates notifications across electronic highway signs, broadcast media, and emergency networks, the agency's policy manual states.
Separately, state law under Penal Code § 14211 requires local police to accept missing person reports without delay and electronically transmit at-risk cases to the Department of Justice within two hours for entry into state and national databases, according to Justia Law. The Silver Alert is one of seven distinct emergency public notification systems CHP coordinates statewide, alongside AMBER Alerts for missing children and Feather Alerts for missing Indigenous individuals, per the Assembly Democratic Caucus.
Bayview Station Leads the Search
The search falls under the local jurisdiction of the San Francisco Police Department's Bayview Station at 201 Williams Avenue, which covers the department's Golden Gate Division territory stretching east of Highway 101 to the San Mateo County line. Under SFPD General Order 6.10, officers handling missing persons cases must immediately broadcast a Be On Look-Out bulletin and check local facilities including county jails, regional hospitals, and the Medical Examiner's office, according to the department's own policy.
Chen's specific cognitive or medical condition has not been disclosed, and his direction of travel from the intersection remains unknown — an open question that authorities have not yet resolved publicly.
Why Search Radius and Foot Traffic Matter
The Alzheimer's Association reports that roughly 60% of people living with dementia or other cognitive impairments will wander at least once during their illness, often repeatedly. Search and rescue research from the University of Florida Health found 37% of missing memory-impaired individuals are located within one mile of where they vanished, and another 49% are found between one and five miles away.
That spatial pattern is one reason investigators and neighbors alike are being urged to watch the immediate blocks around Third Street and the T-Third rail line closely, rather than assume Chen traveled far. Senior missing person cases make up roughly 6% of all missing person reports opened in San Francisco, and they receive prioritized at-risk tracking once flagged. Anyone with information on Chen's whereabouts is urged to contact authorities right away.
