The concerns first responders face when conducting a welfare check

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – When law enforcement officers are called to conduct a welfare check, it’s to check on the safety or well-being of a person.

Columbus Police Chief Fred Shelton said his department gets dispatched a couple times a month for welfare checks.

They mainly get called to check on those who are elderly and those who have mental issues.

There are times when those checks can be simple and routine.

“The good cases are when we are finding out somebody is OK, or that they might be at a relative’s house,” said Shelton.

Then there are times when the checks can have unfortunate circumstances.

“Sometimes we get people that have been laying there for days unfortunately, and there is a smell or you’ll see a bunch of insects, those are the unfortunate cases,” the chief described.

However, Shelton said the worst kind of welfare checks are those that involve violence.

The chief said those usually involve someone who’s dealing with a mental illness.

“It’ll get confrontational and they’ll attack us, and then of course we have to defend ourselves and we have to restrain them,” Shelton explained. “When we have to restrain them they may get hurt because again, they’re going to be fighting with all of their might because they’re going to perceive us as a threat when all we are trying to do is get them secure.”

Back in 2015, Lowndes County investigators were dispatched to conduct a welfare check at a home on Drake Circle, when things suddenly took a wrong turn.

Multiple deputies were shot and injured.

The suspect was believed to have mental illness.

Shelton said his officers are trained to handled mental patients.

When they run into these types of incidents, the first thing officers try to do is diffuse the situation.

“It’s a multi-disciplinary approach,” said Shelton. It’s the police, fire department, and a mental health professional. Community Counseling has a 24-Hour Service Crisis Hotline, they will actually send a counselor with us and we can go and try and talk to this person to get them some help.”

Once everything settles down, Shelton said they’ll take that person to the hospital to have a mental evaluation and get special medical treatment if it’s needed.

Investigators said getting people the help they need in a safe and timely manner is always their number one goal

“That’s one of the good things, going to check and make sure that person is OK, and give the family some comfort to know that somebody is there 24 hours a day that will go by and check on your loved one,” said Shelton.

A person can face criminal charges if they attack an officer during a welfare check.

If you would like to request a welfare check for a loved one or someone you know, contact your local police department.