Free-range kids picked up AGAIN by police

[Anonymous]

I posted earlier asking if this is actually illegal.

It would help if the county police and/or CPS would clarify this for everyone. If it is illegal for kids ages 6 and 10 to be alone at a park 1/3 of a mile from home, I wish the police would make that clear.

[Anonymous]

I think these parents, and their self-righteous melodramatic facebook page, are pathetic.

They are using their children as pawns. No child should have to spend a day in custody because their parents are trying to make a statement.

No public resources should be spend dealing w/ this ridiculousness when there are kids genuinely in danger. (And I'm totally on CPS and the Police's side in this - they are legally bound to respond - they cannot leave children alone if they are made aware.)

These parents are harming their children. I place all the blame on them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Downtown Silver Spring has some very busy streets, and a few pedestrian fatalities in the past few years. Sometimes kids don't pay enough attention or take stupid risks because they don't truly understand they could get hit by a car or whatever. A good number of adults and teens run across Colesville, Georgia, etc. against the light. If you're not paying attention, that serves as a cue that it's your turn to cross too.

I was going to say something similar. Lots of people are running with this story saying "but I let my kids go to the park all the time and it's fine." If you're not familiar with this particular area, it doesn't mean much. There really are some awful intersections and it's not an overblown fear of child abduction that has some people saying it's not wise to let these kids wander this particular area unsupervised. I have no opinion as to whether CPS has overstepped the line, but can we stop pretending that this is just big government vs. sensible parents. There are legitimate threats to a child's safety in that area and pretending that this is just a case of nosy neighbors turning in parents who let their kids go to the park unsupervised misses the point. If we didn't have so many danagerous drivers in the area maybe these kids could have more freedom. But welcome to Silver Spring...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think these parents, and their self-righteous melodramatic facebook page, are pathetic.

They are using their children as pawns. No child should have to spend a day in custody because their parents are trying to make a statement.

No public resources should be spend dealing w/ this ridiculousness when there are kids genuinely in danger. (And I'm totally on CPS and the Police's side in this - they are legally bound to respond - they cannot leave children alone if they are made aware.)

These parents are harming their children. I place all the blame on them.

No child should have to spend a day in custody for walking to the park by themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Let's use your logic, pp. If I think it's reasonable to let my 18 or 20 year old to drink so I let them and get in trouble with the court, then I should focus my criticism on the law, the police and the courts...who are merely doing their job...rather than evaluate my parenting when I continue to allow them to drink despite having been told by the court not to allow that. Dumb. Really dumb.

I agree with the pp about wondering about the parents judgment overall.

But they are not merely doing their job. Their job is to maintain public safety, enforce the law, and look after the best interests of the child. Picking up two children at the park does none of these things.

Also, there is a significant distinction between thinking about the wisdom of your own behavior and condemning the behavior of other people. Lots of people do lots of things, all the time, that I think are dumb. That doesn't mean that the police should not allow people to do those things.

How do you know that? How many calls does CPS get like this a year? How many are actually neglect situations? How is CPS supposed to determine neglect vs non-neglect?

How do I know? Because two children walking to a park is not a threat to public safety and is not illegal, and because getting taken to CPS by the police for being children walking to a park is not in the best interests of a child.

Wrong. Many children are neglected in Montgomery County Maryland every year. CPS gets calls every day from concerned citizens call and they investigate the situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think these parents, and their self-righteous melodramatic facebook page, are pathetic.

They are using their children as pawns. No child should have to spend a day in custody because their parents are trying to make a statement.

No public resources should be spend dealing w/ this ridiculousness when there are kids genuinely in danger. (And I'm totally on CPS and the Police's side in this - they are legally bound to respond - they cannot leave children alone if they are made aware.)

These parents are harming their children. I place all the blame on them.

No child should have to spend a day in custody for walking to the park by themselves.

Correct, the parents should be in jail for child neglect, they are the perpetrators

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Downtown Silver Spring has some very busy streets, and a few pedestrian fatalities in the past few years. Sometimes kids don't pay enough attention or take stupid risks because they don't truly understand they could get hit by a car or whatever. A good number of adults and teens run across Colesville, Georgia, etc. against the light. If you're not paying attention, that serves as a cue that it's your turn to cross too.

I was going to say something similar. Lots of people are running with this story saying "but I let my kids go to the park all the time and it's fine." If you're not familiar with this particular area, it doesn't mean much. There really are some awful intersections and it's not an overblown fear of child abduction that has some people saying it's not wise to let these kids wander this particular area unsupervised. I have no opinion as to whether CPS has overstepped the line, but can we stop pretending that this is just big government vs. sensible parents. There are legitimate threats to a child's safety in that area and pretending that this is just a case of nosy neighbors turning in parents who let their kids go to the park unsupervised misses the point. If we didn't have so many danagerous drivers in the area maybe these kids could have more freedom. But welcome to Silver Spring...

Agreed. There is no way in hell I would let my 10 year old and 6 year old do that walk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I was going to say something similar. Lots of people are running with this story saying "but I let my kids go to the park all the time and it's fine." If you're not familiar with this particular area, it doesn't mean much. There really are some awful intersections and it's not an overblown fear of child abduction that has some people saying it's not wise to let these kids wander this particular area unsupervised. I have no opinion as to whether CPS has overstepped the line, but can we stop pretending that this is just big government vs. sensible parents. There are legitimate threats to a child's safety in that area and pretending that this is just a case of nosy neighbors turning in parents who let their kids go to the park unsupervised misses the point. If we didn't have so many danagerous drivers in the area maybe these kids could have more freedom. But welcome to Silver Spring...

I'm familiar with this particular area. The "awful" intersections have wide sidewalks, clearly marked crosswalks, lots and lots of pedestrians, pedestrian signals, and low-speed (25-30 mph) roads. Are the intersections as safe as they could be? Absolutely not. Do you take your life into your hands when you cross Colesville Road and Georgia Avenue? Nope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I posted earlier asking if this is actually illegal.

It would help if the county police and/or CPS would clarify this for everyone. If it is illegal for kids ages 6 and 10 to be alone at a park 1/3 of a mile from home, I wish the police would make that clear.

Yes. It is. Go to the court hearing if you want to learn more. I am sure the FB page will post the time and location.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The parents were previously explicitly told by CPS that it was unacceptable so whether they AGREE with it or not they should stop doing it (fight it legally in the meantime if they want but stop doing it) instead of risking losing their kids, right or wrong, to make a statement.

What about CPS, though? Is it ok for CPS to take custody of children who go to the park by themselves? Is this in the best interest of the children?

Apparently it is okay for CPS to do that...and your opinion doesn't matter.

But is it in the best interest of the children? And since CPS is acting in my name, and yours, and everybody else's, my opinion actually does matter.

Then you mount a campaign to change the situation. Call the county council and Ike. Complain. Organize. Find some organization or political leader to carry the flag.

But don't send your little kids to the park alone until the system changes...especially if CPS has already investigated you and told you not to do that again. Duh.

Well said, PP. Completely agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Correct, the parents should be in jail for child neglect, they are the perpetrators

The perpetrators of what? Letting your child walk to the park does not constitute child neglect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I posted earlier asking if this is actually illegal.

It would help if the county police and/or CPS would clarify this for everyone. If it is illegal for kids ages 6 and 10 to be alone at a park 1/3 of a mile from home, I wish the police would make that clear.

Yes. It is. Go to the court hearing if you want to learn more. I am sure the FB page will post the time and location.

What law says that it is illegal for children ages 6 and 10 to be alone at a park 1/3 of a mile from home?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think these parents, and their self-righteous melodramatic facebook page, are pathetic.

They are using their children as pawns. No child should have to spend a day in custody because their parents are trying to make a statement.

No public resources should be spend dealing w/ this ridiculousness when there are kids genuinely in danger. (And I'm totally on CPS and the Police's side in this - they are legally bound to respond - they cannot leave children alone if they are made aware.)

These parents are harming their children. I place all the blame on them.

It seems as if they're enjoying all the attention (negative and otherwise) and seeking it, to their children's detriment. I really can't imagine anyone thinking that a 6 year old is just fine in a big city, even with a ten year old sibling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Correct, the parents should be in jail for child neglect, they are the perpetrators

The perpetrators of what? Letting your child walk to the park does not constitute child neglect.

Well the law says otherwise

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:6 is way too young to be without adult supervision.

Maybe for some kids, or even a lot of kids, but definitely not every kid.

No, for every kid. The end.

Six-year-olds used to be capable of being out without adult supervision. Six-year-olds in other countries to this day are capable of being out without adult supervision. Do middle-class people in the US just have particularly incompetent six-year-olds, these days?

When were six-year-olds commonly walking around without adult supervision? Be specific.

NP - I was 6 in 1976 and I walked to K - 3rd grade by myself. It was about 2 blocks away through a neighborhood. I also walked to the park 3 blocks away. There weer lots of other kids out and sometimes I walked with them and sometimes not. Mom didn't give it a second thought.

I also knew more than half of the adults in my neighborhood by name and they all knew who I was and where I belonged.
It was also completely the norm that lots of kids were out on bikes or walking so I wasn't alone.

It was a different time and a different more community feel.