Cops were sent to Maine gunman's home weeks before massacres amid concern he is going to snap and commit a mass shooting

[moniss]

9. However the Baker Act

is interpreted/enforced with wide variation between jurisdictions in Florida. I knew of a case of a woman who was living alone, had a known history of mental illness and was not eating or taking her medication. She had dropped in body weight to the point where her bones were apparent through her skin. Despite neighbors and family calling for the police and social services to intervene because she was an obvious danger to her health they instead did nothing. In fact social services in that jurisdiction said they would only act upon referral by the police and the police in that jurisdiction said they would only act upon referral from social services. After a few more weeks she was found dead in her home of "natural causes". A danger to themselves is too narrowly interpreted as being imminent self harm with a knife or gun etc. Suicide can happen quickly or over a longer period. What will result from the behavior is the same.

I know the Baker Act has helped some but many jurisdictions don't want to deal with it and so they shift responsibility until it is just a finger-pointing exercise. Sadly when it's combined with a lack of training it is why so many instances of people experiencing a mental health crisis end up with police shooting to death the person involved.