PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Public Safety is replacing and expanding its statewide alert system for locating missing individuals.

Starting Sept. 26, the law enforcement agency is replacing its Silver Alert system with the new SAFE Alert program, which issues real-time notifications when vulnerable individuals go missing under certain conditions. Silver alerts were primarily used for finding elderly residents but the newer system will operate with expanded criteria.

SAFE alerts will apply to a missing person if they're over 65 or have been diagnosed with a developmental or cognitive disability. The alerts also apply to individuals with dementia.

The law enforcement agency must additionally confirm the following:

The missing individual disappeared under suspicious or unexplaine

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