Phoenix Police have issued a SAFE Alert for Sharon Joseph, a 76-year-old woman last seen around 8 p.m. Tuesday near 56th Street and Thomas Road. Joseph has a medical condition that may cause confusion and becoming lost, and investigators are asking anyone with information to come forward immediately.
Police described Joseph as 5 feet 2 inches tall and about 105 pounds, with gray hair and blue eyes, according to KTAR News 92.3 FM. She was last seen wearing a white t-shirt with a Phoenix logo, black shorts and white shoes. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Phoenix Police missing persons unit at 602-534-2121 or reach out by email to [email protected].
How the SAFE Alert System Works
Joseph's case falls under Arizona's SAFE Alert program, which replaced the state's old Silver Alert framework a year ago. The Arizona Department of Public Safety officially launched the Seek and Find Emergency system on September 26, 2025, under House Bill 2894, broadening who qualifies for a statewide alert. Where Silver Alerts mainly covered missing seniors, SAFE Alerts now extend to people of any age with a developmental or cognitive disability, alongside adults 65 and older and those with Alzheimer's or dementia.
The expansion is codified under A.R.S. § 41-1728, which explicitly bars law enforcement agencies from delaying or denying a SAFE Alert request once statutory criteria are met, and it mandates biannual training on alert protocols for officers. Before a SAFE Alert can go out, investigators must confirm the missing person vanished under unexplained or suspicious circumstances, is believed to be in danger, and that basic local steps — hospital checks, family contacts and NCIC database entries — have already been exhausted. Once those conditions are met, the agency broadcasts real-time notifications through social media, local broadcast media and law enforcement bulletins. ADOT highway message boards are used if a vehicle is involved.
Why Wandering Cases Move Fast
The urgency behind these alerts is grounded in grim statistics. According to the Alzheimer's Association, roughly six out of ten people living with dementia or Alzheimer's will wander at least once during their illness, often repeatedly, due to disorientation. Wandering is a serious concern for people living with dementia or Alzheimer's.
That risk has played out locally before. Maricopa County authorities confirmed on September 15 that an 80-year-old Phoenix man with dementia had been found dead three months after he went missing, a case Hoodline covered in reporting on the closed SAFE Alert. Arizona has continued expanding its alert tools beyond SAFE Alerts, too — Governor Katie Hobbs launched the Turquoise Alert system in July 2025 to cover missing and endangered individuals under 65.
Public notification systems can help alert communities when someone with Alzheimer's or dementia goes missing. For now, investigators are relying on the public to help track down Joseph before conditions worsen.
