Police Wellness Checks: Record-Keeping Practices Explained

Do police keep records of wellness checks?

Yes, police typically maintain records of wellness checks in their internal databases. These records broadly include the date, time, location, request party information, and outcome of the check. The retention period varies by jurisdiction, range from a few months to several years. While these records aren’t commonly public, they may be accessed through formal requests or during investigations.

Why police document wellness checks

Record keeping serve multiple purposes: track department resources, provide reference for future incidents, establish patterns of behavior, and protect officers from liability claims. Most departments classify wellness checks as non-criminal incidents unless they discover illegal activity during the visit.

Source: thunderbaypolice.ca

Accessing wellness check records

If you’re concerned about a wellness check on your record, you can typically request this information through a formal process like freedom of information act ( (iFOIA)quest. Yet, privacy laws may limit what information is release, particularly regard mental health matters. Some jurisdictions may require court orders for complete access.

Source: tseonline.org

Impact on background checks

Loosely, wellness checks solely don’t appear on standard background checks for employment or housing. Since they’re considerenon-criminalal incidents, they typically remain in internal police records solely. Notwithstanding, if the wellness check result in an arrest, psychiatric hold, or other formal action, those outcomes might appear in certain background checks.