The Nanaimo RCMP say they received 4250 calls during the month of May, around 300 of which being wellness checks.
The RCMP state that a wellness check requires a minimum of two police officers to conduct and the call may end up taking several hours to resolve if it’s determined the client requires hospitalization.
The RCMP say that the majority of the calls are handled by the Mental Health Liaison Officer, and that ‘Constable Joshua Waltman and his team of outreach nurses are having a significant impact on often hard to reach repeat clients.’
On May 10th, officers responded to a home in central Nanaimo after a caller became worried for his friend’s health after he was unsuccessful at reaching him, noting that he had made some ‘troubling comments.’ Later that day, he was found by officers and the RCMP say he was ‘very grateful for the check in and reassured the officers that he was OK and that he was simply going through a rough patch.’
On May 21st, police checked a residence after a man had not been seen for several days and his friends became concerned for his well being . Officers managed to speak with him and when asked, he told the officers he was experiencing some significant personal issues but was not thinking of hurting himself. When offered to be driven to the local hospital for an assessment, he declined. The RCMP say the caller was updated and was glad to hear his friend was doing ok.
Calls for non-emergency services can be made at 250-754-2345.
