UPDATE: Newport Issues Silver Alert for Missing Woman
Police say Brenda Batts, 68, went missing around 7:30 a.m. yesterday morning.
Newport Police Department has issued a Silver Alert for a missing Newport woman.
Police say Brenda Batts, 68, went missing from her home in Bayside Village around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Batts, who reportedly has dementia, is approximately 170 pounds, has brown eyes, gray hair and an afro-style haircut. She was reportedly last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, jeans and slippers.
According to police, Batts is known to sit at bus stops and benches. She was last seen at the main bus terminal in Newport around 6 p.m. Wednesday.
Police said she walks slowly and with a limp.
Newport Police ask that anyone with information call (401) 847-1212.
Updated at 2:55 p.m.
A user who saw Batts last night on a bench at the Gateway Center has reported that Batts was found near train tracks in Newport. She said Batts had passed away.
The Newport Daily News also posted on its Facebook page, "Sad news: Ms. Batts has been found, but she has died, we have just learned."
Newport Police have not confirmed Batts' death, or that she has been found. The case is still under investigation, police officials say.
James Wermuth
10:17 am on Thursday, February 9, 2012
Sad - here's to hope. A photograph would surely be useful in identifying this woman.
SC
10:54 am on Thursday, February 9, 2012
i just called the police i saw her yesterday around 12:30 - sitting on a park bench by the time share on Long Wharf, poor thing. I was walking my dog at the time.
Cara Kenefick
12:21 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
@James - Agreed. We're currently looking into getting a photo. No one has submitted anything to the police yet. We'll get it up as soon as one comes in.
Mike Cullen
1:27 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
So why hasn't the City of Newport used its CodeRed dialing system for this missing person ? To what level of urgency must something rise to get the city to use the system in order to create the broadest possible awareness?
Jack
6:00 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
Mike we all know government cannot act it only reacts
Mike Cullen
6:08 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
Jack - Other city governments learned years ago how to react more swiftly, to alert the community more broadly, and to leverage volunteers. Newport is well behind the times. When at-risk people go missing, the public safety machinery should be engaging the public's eyes and ears ASAP. Waiting 14 hours to issue a Silver Alert is not ASAP in my book.
hilary stookey
9:21 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
I'm betting if this had been somebody other than a person with dementia, a far quicker reaction would have taken place. It's reasonable to conclude there's a chance she died because there wasn't.
Mike Cullen
5:31 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
#NewportRI411 KN poll on the city handling of the above at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KnowingNewport/surveys?id=13123353
Kassandra brown
11:08 pm on Friday, February 10, 2012
Poor miss brenda I knew her, this is so sad.
Mike Cullen
5:55 pm on Sunday, February 12, 2012
#NewportRI411 KN poll results on the city's handling of the missing person posted at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KnowingNewport/message/8397 Thanks to all who got educated on the response timelines and cast their votes.