Mom Ticketed For Neglect After Calling Police To Help Free Toddler Locked in Car

[Magpie]

A toddler locked in a hot car.

Omaha police say it’s a potentially deadly circumstance, and one reason a local mother was ticketed Tuesday on suspicion of child abuse by neglect.

A gust of wind apparently slammed closed a sport utility vehicle’s doors, locking a nearly 2-year-old girl inside.

In vain, family members worked to free her before calling 911; the girl’s mother told the police officers when they arrived that the girl was trapped for about 15 minutes.


Read more:
http://www.omaha.com/news/crime/mom...medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark

The quote I liked best is from police spokeswoman Tierney, who despite claiming the ticket is "not an overreaction" then went on to add...

"Don’t be afraid to call 911 for help," she said. "This could be a life or death situation."

I don't know... if I lived in Omaha, this would make me pretty darn reluctant to call 911 in a similar situation. I can use my own hammer to free the child, thank you. (Attempting, of course, not to send glass shards into my child's face!)

Thoughts?

 

[wilkeliza]

A kid isn't going to die in 15 minutes. That is a far over reaction by the police department. Yes this is a serious thing and accidently (and even purposefully) locking a child in a car can lead to their death but if a parent calls 911 and states we've tried getting the door open ourselves but please help we can't why should the be charged with neglect? If anything that is as far away from neglect as possible.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

I doubt charges will be filed.

But will she still have to pay the fine on the ticket?

 

[wilkeliza]

I doubt charges will be filed.

But will she still have to pay the fine on the ticket?

She'll probably have to go to court to fight the fine and prove she wasn't negligent. Sure she could just pay it but a ticket for child endangerment is not something you would really want on your record. If she is a working parent then that will mean lost wages and having to tell her boss why she needs time off to go to court. If not it would be easier but really who wants to go to court. The cop could have just given her a formal warning. Sounds like it wasn't even mom's fault by the aunt's fault as she was the adult in charge at the time however I totally believe the wind story.

 

[pryncess527]

I feel like given recent events, I'm supposed to say
Cops have a hard job, they are incapable of having any of their actions deemed an overreaction. it was just protocol. Officer just doing what they were told. Nothing any cop ever does is wrong . . .

I'll keep my actual feelings to myself. This week has not been good for my blood pressure.

 

[rwdavis2]

Just a way for the city to use the police as a source of revenue.

 

[SMD]

I hope it doesn't discourage people who really need help from seeking it for fear that they'll be cited or worse.

 

[Mizzoufan]

Once again police are darned if they do and darned if they don't

 

[Hikergirl]

Once again police are darned if they do and darned if they don't

Really, you think this is a case of that?
I think this is another case where it shows some police officers aren't that smart and they are just in it for the power trip.

 

[Magpie]

Once again police are darned if they do and darned if they don't

How would the police be "darned" for not issuing the ticket?

Is there any way you can justify this ticket?

If I call the cops for help freeing my child from a car, I do not expect to be ticketed. I expect a pleasant encounter with a polite and reassuring officer, followed by a happy reunion with my now freed child.

 

[sunshinehighway]

Ridiculous. These are exactly the types of things that make people afraid to call for help.

 

[wilkeliza]

Once again police are darned if they do and darned if they don't

I think that would be the issue if people were upset that the officer broke the window in order to get the child out. That's not why people are upset though. The police gain nothing by writing a ticket and opening an investigation other then making people afraid to call them in an emergency pertaining to children. Again if the want was to record it they could have given a formal warning.

 

[dotfurio]

I do think 15 minutes could be life threatening in the heat, so I don't think they overreacted as far as that goes. But I don't think they should have been ticketed. It was an accident, they we're going to get her out but the doors accidentally shut.

 

[Shanti]

I don't know... if I lived in Omaha, this would make me pretty darn reluctant to call 911 in a similar situation...Thoughts?

This was very poor judgment on the police officer's part. It's basically saying that if there's an accident and a parent calls for help, that parent is being neglectful. And that's not a minor issue. If there is a custody situation, a ticket for child neglect could cause that parent to lose visitation.

I kind of wonder how old this police officer is, & if he or she has any children.

Btw, does anyone remember "Baby Jessica" from the 1980's? Interesting to compare that emergency to this one, & the very different, non-punitive reaction by the police to that accident, which was much more serious than this one.

 

[Magpie]

I do think 15 minutes could be life threatening in the heat, so I don't think they overreacted as far as that goes. But I don't think they should have been ticketed. It was an accident, they we're going to get her out but the doors accidentally shut.

Exactly. And they spent those 15 minutes actively trying to get the child out of the car. This wasn't a case of, "I'll just lock her in this boiling hot vehicle while I go browse the magazine rack at the pharmacy for fifteen minutes!"

When my son cut the tip of his thumb off, it definitely took me more than 15 minutes to decide to call a cab and take him to the emergency room. Time flies when you're (not!) having fun!

 

[Magpie]

Meanwhile, the NYPD wants you to know that if you are suffering from or witnessing a drug overdose, you can call 911 without fear of arrest:

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/drug-overdose-911-good-samaritan-law-arrest-nypd-429945863.html

It's nice to read about the authorities being sensible and compassionate. Especially after reading about how the US gov't deliberately added deadly poison to industrial alcohol during Prohibition: http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2010/02/the_chemists_war.html (A really depressing bit of history, there.)

 

[wilkeliza]

Meanwhile, the NYPD wants you to know that if you are suffering from or witnessing a drug overdose, you can call 911 without fear of arrest:

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/drug-overdose-911-good-samaritan-law-arrest-nypd-429945863.html

It's nice to read about the authorities being sensible and compassionate. Especially after reading about how the US gov't deliberately added deadly poison to industrial alcohol during Prohibition: http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2010/02/the_chemists_war.html (A really depressing bit of history, there.)

I believe all of our patrol officers now carry naloxone as well so if they come upon someone overdosing they are already equip to help. I remember seeing signs too that if you have a family member or friend who is a user you can ask for naloxone for no cost as well. The only issue it has created is people still aren't getting the help they desperately need they are just getting saved to do it again. The NYPD does refer them to counseling and recovery programs but it is so hard to defeat this addiction.

 

[Magpie]

I believe all of our patrol officers now carry naloxone as well so if they come upon someone overdosing they are already equip to help. I remember seeing signs too that if you have a family member or friend who is a user you can ask for naloxone for no cost as well. The only issue it has created is people still aren't getting the help they desperately need they are just getting saved to do it again. The NYPD does refer them to counseling and recovery programs but it is so hard to defeat this addiction.

I guess the idea is, at least they're alive to someday get the help they need. If they're dead, there's no chance of that at all.

You're right, it's very hard!

 

[wilkeliza]

I guess the idea is, at least they're alive to someday get the help they need. If they're dead, there's no chance of that at all.

You're right, it's very hard!

That's exactly the idea. Also the fact they aren't just told sucks to be you after waking up they are usually referred to a detox program. Of course these programs as so full everywhere. I remember my manager at our Starbucks said she couldn't in good faith put a baby changing station in because our store was known for drug users and the previous one tested positive many times for different drug residues so she just had it removed.

 

[rastahomie]

Punish someone for doing the right thing? Yeah, that's definitely not immoral.

Just another source of revenue generation for the state.