WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | "Silver Alert" could be a reality in SC soon

"Silver Alert" could be a reality in SC soon

SUMTER, SC (WIS) - The search continues for a missing Sumter woman. Authorities used four-wheelers Friday in the area around the care facility where Barbara Brunson lived.
    
She walked away from it Monday, and has not been seen since.

Thursday on Nightcast, we told you about the "Silver Alert." It's just like the Amber Alert, except the focus is on finding senior citizens like Barbara.

Friday a viewer wrote, "This is why we need the silver alert program. Please continue your research/investigation concerning this."

So we talked to the state's Office on Aging and found out it's a program that could be in South Carolina's future.

If you had to put a face with what the Silver Alert means, it might be Barbara Brunson's.
    
On Monday, staff at Greene's Residential Care Facility, where Barbara lives, told Sumter police that Barbara walked away. Friday makes five days she's been gone.
    
We later learned from the facility's administrator that Barbara has done this five times in the past six months.
    
That's not to mention that her medical chart shows she suffers from mental illness, including dementia and schizophrenia.
    
Friday we spoke with John Legare with the Office on Aging.

"Many times they'll be overlooked. When a child's by themselves, it seems odd. When a senior is by themselves, they try to respect people's privacy more than anything else," says Legare.
    
While working on this story, we learned about a program called the Silver Alert.
    
It's just like the Amber Alert, except it focuses on finding senior citizens like Barbara.
    
The Amber Alert is present in all 50 states. But according to the National Association of State Units on Aging, the Silver Alert is only present in seven, including our neighbors Georgia and North Carolina.
    
But Friday we learned that the Office on Aging will be meeting in two weeks to discuss bringing the plan to South Carolina.

"Silver Alert is a fairly new program, at least in the southeast. I know a couple of other states including North Carolina do have it, and it's one we'd like to emulate and it's one that's going to be a priority of the Lt. Governor in the future," says Legare.

Once Lt. Governor Andre Bauer meets with law enforcement officers to discuss the plan for South Carolina, the next step will be getting it introduced in the legislature.
    
Legare says the chances of that happening this session are good.
    
You can count on 10 to continue following this story.

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