Authorities issued a SAFE Alert Monday morning for a missing Phoenix woman who gets around on a black electric scooter. Karen King, 71, was last seen Sunday in the area of 18th and Campbell avenues, between Camelback and Indian School roads, and police are asking the public for help finding her.
King is described as 5 feet, 4 inches tall and 160 pounds, with brown eyes and short gray hair, according to KTAR News 92.3 FM. She is known to frequent a nearby Circle K, which could offer a clue to anyone in the area keeping an eye out for her.
Anyone with information about King's whereabouts is asked to contact the Phoenix Police Department Missing Persons Unit at 602-534-3052. After hours, tips can be directed to the department's main nonemergency line at 602-262-6151.
A Newer, Broader Alert System
The SAFE Alert that went out for King is part of a relatively new statewide tool. The Arizona Department of Public Safety launched the SAFE Alert program last year to replace the state's old Silver Alert system, according to KJZZ. The goal, per the same station's report, is to expand the criteria under which an alert can be issued and improve the state's ability to quickly locate a missing person.
Active alerts, including King's, are tracked on the Arizona Department of Public Safety's All Alerts page, which lists cases by status, whether a person is active or located, and posted date. Under state law, a seek-and-find alert cannot be denied or delayed because of administrative processes, prior missing episodes, or unrelated discretionary assessments, according to Arizona Revised Statutes.
No further details about the circumstances of King's disappearance have been released, and it is not yet known whether the alert remains active. Residents in the Camelback and Indian School corridor who spot a woman matching her description on a black electric scooter are urged to call police rather than approach her directly.
