South Carolina National Guard conducting wellness checks on local citizens.

A wellness check (also known as a welfare check or a Safe and Well check) is an in-person visit from one or more law enforcement officers, especially in response to a request from a friend or family member who is concerned about the person's wellbeing.[1][2][3][4]

If law enforcement receives no response during a wellness check after knocking on the subject's door, they are lawfully able to search about the subject's property, as applicable by law.[3]

Reasons for wellness checks

A wellness check may be conducted if a person's loved one has stopped responding, someone with suicidal tendencies has been acting suspiciously, or someone has deviated from regular plans in a concerning manner.[3] Usually, a wellness check is requested for law enforcement to confirm the safety of an elderly loved one. In some circumstances, a wellness check is used for concerned bystanders on the accounts of suspected domestic violence or substance abuse.[5]

Canada

In Canada, in addition to feeding information back to the individual that requested the check, descriptions of what happened during these wellness checks as well as details of the surrounding area are listed on the Subject Behavior/ Officer Response (SB/OR) report. This report is often used for Canadian policy development.[6]

In order to respond to wellness calls, officers have to be properly and extensively trained for any task that may occur during a wellness check. For example, they have to be fully aware of alarming health signs related to both physical and mental unwellness. [6] This training ensures that all wellness check requests and operations are performed in a uniform way, as officers must always follow direct protocol.[6] Extensive mental illness training is provided to officers online through a program called Crisis Intervention and De-escalation (CID) training. This training is mandatory for all officers.[6]

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, following a request for a "Safe and Well" check, police are required to locate people at risk of harm and seek to manage any safeguarding risks. Police officers are required to establish a person's location and ascertain whether the individual is alive, breathing, and conscious but are limited to finding an individual, calling for medical assessment of people who are found where necessary, and feeding back this information to the person or organization that has requested the check.[7]

Notable occurrences

In 2018, American comedian Pete Davidson posted a message to his Instagram that led fans to be concerned for his mental well-being. The New York Police Department conducted a wellness check with Davidson.[8]

In 2018, actress Vanessa Marquez was shot and killed by armed police conducting a wellness check requested by a neighbor. [9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Bergstein, Rachelle (2018-12-17). "When and how to request a police wellness check". New York Post. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
  2. ↑ "Statement on police and wellness checks". CMHA National. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
  3. 1 2 3 "What Is A Police Welfare Check?". The Law Dictionary. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
  4. ↑ "Police wellness checks: Why they're ending violently and what experts say needs to change". Global News. Retrieved 2020-07-31.
  5. ↑ "WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN "INVESTIGATORY STOP" AND A "WELFARE CHECK"? | Roth Davies LLC". www.rothdavies.com. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Canada, Public Safety (2021-02-03). "Police Intervention and Wellness Checks". www.publicsafety.gc.ca. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  7. ↑ "Mental Health Safe and well checks". College of Policing. 3 August 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  8. ↑ Moniuszko, Sara M. "Pete Davidson appears on 'SNL' after concerning social media post prompts police check". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  9. ↑ Settlement reached in 'ER' actress Vanessa Marquez wrongful death lawsuit, 2023, retrieved 30 September 2023
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