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Police and "Free Range" Children

Kushinator said:
This falls on the cops, because it wasn't the CPS that brought them into this crisis center. Imagine how terrified the parents were getting the call and picking them up from a "crisis center".
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CPS is not allowed to do so. Only the police can do that, but CPS could have simply told the officers to take the children home or call the parents to pick them up
 
Blemonds said:
CPS is not allowed to do so. Only the police can do that, but CPS could have simply told the officers to take the children home or call the parents to pick them up
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If a cop brings two children to their central location, they have to investigate. The discretion lies with the police in this regard.
 
Kushinator said:
If a cop brings two children to their central location, they have to investigate. The discretion lies with the police in this regard.
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CPS could simply instruct the police to return the children home. They don't need to investigate under such circumstances
 
azgreg said:
Now that's a nanny state.
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Yep. It appears that a proper nanny, at least 13 years of age, must constantly supervise Maryland's youth at all times.

Maryland has an ordinance that a child under 8 has to be cared for by someone at least 13.
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The dilemma, in this case, was that only the youngest child, at age 6, was illegally being "free range" - the 10 year old was not breaking the law in any way.

'Free range kids' and the dangers of an overprotective society | Fox News
 
Henrin said:
Child protective services was a terrible idea.
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Strongly, disagree, BUT in order for it to work, we need intelligent, NOT living in fear people ..As neighbors, parents, and the services .. so .. what happened ?
extremism
intolerance (zero tolerance)
for two things
To fix , throw away that TV with all its negative media ..
 
Blemonds said:
CPS could simply instruct the police to return the children home. They don't need to investigate under such circumstances
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That doesn't make any sense. If a the police thought it was worth their time to bring the children to CPS, that pretty much ties their hands. They must take that seriously. As stated, the discretion was with the police, and they chose to over react.
 
ttwtt78640 said:
Yep. It appears that a proper nanny, at least 13 years of age, must constantly supervise Maryland's youth at all times.



The dilemma, in this case, was that only the youngest child, at age 6, was illegally being "free range" - the 10 year old was not breaking the law in any way.

'Free range kids' and the dangers of an overprotective society | Fox News
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That ordinance only applies to children left in a dwelling or a car.

Baltimore County Md. Police - Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the current State of Maryland law pertaining to unattended children?
A. Maryland Family Law Art. 5-801 states:

a) "A person who is charged with the care of a child under the age of 8 years may not allow the child to be locked or confined in a dwelling, building, enclosure or motor vehicle while the person charged is absent and the dwelling, building, enclosure or motor vehicle is out of sight of the person charged unless the person charged provides at person at least 13 years old to remain with the child to protect the child.

b) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $500 or imprisonment not exceeding 30 days or both."
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They weren't breaking the law.
 
azgreg said:
That ordinance only applies to children left in a dwelling or a car.

Baltimore County Md. Police - Frequently Asked Questions



They weren't breaking the law.
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The children were taken by police (and/or CPS) for not breaking the law? That simply defies logic. The nanny state is definitely out of control if they can simply make up a violation based on a citizen complaint and their desire to "do something".
 
We must instill fear in our children today, otherwise it will be harder in the future to have them fear the government enough to obey.
 
Kushinator said:
That doesn't make any sense. If a the police thought it was worth their time to bring the children to CPS, that pretty much ties their hands. They must take that seriously. As stated, the discretion was with the police, and they chose to over react.
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That's not sufficient cause for CPS to over act in turn
 
j-mac said:
We must instill fear in our children today, otherwise it will be harder in the future to have them fear the government enough to obey.
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In other words, we must turn them into little liberals
 
Child endangerment, I suppose.
 
Tsunami said:
This was a ten year old, for all we know they told the officer that they were lost and they didn't know where they lived. There's no harm done here, it doesn't have to turn into a huge political issue. There was a case recently where they attempted to prosecute a mother for letting her kid walk to the park, and that's certainly going too far. But no charges have been filed in this case, the intention has been to protect the children as far as I see it.
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... :shock:

You are certainly proof that some people will defend any police behavior...
 
Cryptic said:
My 12, 10 and 6 year old children are also "free range"- to a degree. They rountinely walk or bike ride to the local park with out me. They also ride their bikes with out helmets (despite a city ordinance requiring one). When we go hiking, they can be considerably up the trail from me if they know the area. With select friends who are mature (but also 12 years old), the older one can ride her bike a considerable ways from home

All that aside, I saw a video of the street that the children were walking on. The side walks were narrow and the street was very busy. Though this factor alone does not appear to justify the actions of the Maryland CPS, it does reduce my level of sympathy for the parents.
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Why couldn't the police have told the kids, hop in and we'll give you a lift home. and that's the most I would grant.
 
Blemonds said:
That's not sufficient cause for CPS to over act in turn
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Overact as in investigate a police officer's inquiry? Not a concerned citizen, random phone call, etc..., but a paid officer of the law took it upon himself to throw these children in the lap of CPS. Of course they are going to take it seriously.

Anti-government cognitive dissonance seems to have gotten the best of you.
 
AliHajiSheik said:
If the police were so concerned, they should have just followed the kids or went up to them and ask them if they were OK.

They would likely have just followed them home, or they would have been there when any of the thousands of kidnappers in Maryland tried to molest the kids. I think the correct term is bait.
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I seem to remember somebody one time telling me about this new invention. I think they are called cellular phones.

I know the officers have them. What would it have cost to call the parents immediately to ask if they knew where the children were?
 
Blemonds said:
CPS is not allowed to do so. Only the police can do that, but CPS could have simply told the officers to take the children home or call the parents to pick them up
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And now they will keep a file open on the family for 5 years.

Who knows what their next move will be.
 
Lachean said:
... :shock:

You are certainly proof that some people will defend any police behavior...
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Not even close. I just don't see what harm was done here. The kids are fine. This isn't even harassment unless it occurs frequently. There are many cases where the police have hurt people and deserve to be condemned, but not here. This is an overreaction.
 
Montecresto said:
The police picked the kids up, put them in the back of the squad car for an extended period, then took them to the child crisis center, ten Miles from their home. No, no harm done.
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You have no idea what that experience is/can be like obviously.
 
Tsunami said:
Not even close. I just don't see what harm was done here. The kids are fine. This isn't even harassment unless it occurs frequently. There are many cases where the police have hurt people and deserve to be condemned, but not here. This is an overreaction.
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They were effectively arrested and that is a traumatic and intentionally humiliating thing in order to get submission.
 
azgreg said:
Same here. We woke up, had breakfast, then headed out. Came home for lunch and headed out again. Came home for dinner then went out again until it was too dark. By the way, I ran with scissors as well.
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I was huckleberry Finn compared to how so many kids are raised these days. Time will tell which method is better, I guess. It's kind of hard not to conclude that in a post apocalyptic world they won't be the first to be eaten, though.
 
Lursa said:
They were effectively arrested and that is a traumatic and intentionally humiliating thing in order to get submission.
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You're projecting your own feelings onto the kids. For you having someone change your clothes or bathe you would be humiliating. Children are naturally submissive, it's not traumatic for them, it's comforting.
 
Tsunami said:
Children are naturally submissive, it's not traumatic for them, it's comforting.
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:lol: children submissive? :lol: I'm sorry but do you have children? I'm about to wake up my daughter and have to get her ready for school, let me take a wager on how submissive she will be when I start telling her what to do. :lol:
 
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