At 8 a.m., officers were called to a Portsmouth home after a man said someone was tracking him.
He told police his security system had sent alerts saying he was being watched. But when officers asked to see the messages, he said they kept disappearing before he could screenshot them.
He also said a blue car often drove by his street and believed it might be connected.
Officers didn’t laugh it off. They documented the concerns and agreed to patrol the area.
Two hours later, the same man called again.
This time, he said someone had broken into his home while he was gone getting breakfast. He pointed to an unlocked deadbolt and said he knew he had locked it before leaving.
Nothing had been taken. Nothing inside appeared disturbed.
Officers again responded, listened, and assessed the situation. They believed the man was struggling with mental health issues, but did not appear to be a danger to himself or others.
So they did what they could.
Police contacted Shawnee Mental Health and arranged for follow-up help.
THEN ANOTHER PERSON WALKED INTO THE STATION
Later, another troubled woman came into the police station wanting to report problems of her own.
Officers asked the key questions—whether she planned to harm herself or anyone else.
She said no.
Before mental health professionals could arrive, she left.
Because she was not threatening herself or others, officers could not legally detain her.
Shawnee Mental Health was again notified and said they would attempt to follow up.
👮 POLICE ARE OFTEN THE FIRST CALL — BUT NOT THE FINAL ANSWER
This is the reality officers face every day.
They are often the first people called when someone is in crisis, paranoid, confused, delusional, or spiraling.
They show up, calm things down, assess danger, and try to connect people with help.
But there are limits.
Unless someone is:
- A danger to themselves
- A danger to others
- Committing a crime
- Meeting legal standards for emergency detention
Police often cannot force treatment.
