Have a read of this news story and see what you think!!
Three 12year olds had climbed into a tree to make a den. Pretty normal thing to do, most kids (used to) do exactly the same thing in this gorgeous weather than stay inside and play on their XBox.
Anyway, someone had decided since they were getting up to no good to ring the police (probably as a 999 call as they most likely felt threatened in some way!)
The next thing that happens is the kids had been arrested and "locked up". They had their "shoes removed, mugshots, DNA samples and mouth swabs were taken." Well this bit is normal, that happens to EVERY prisoner that enters custody.
However, why on earth were these kids brought into custody?? For god sake, they were building a tree (as far as the story tells us anyway!)
I assume the resident would have been far happier for these kids to be smoking drinking and making noise and causing distress for people??
What happened to disretion from the officers? Did they forget what they used to do when they were kids, or is it that if they had done nothing (which I would have probably done, with the facts given) then a supervisor would have kicked their ass for not taking "positive action in line with force policy" or not getting a sanctioned detection!?
One thing is for sure - these kids wont be forgetting this experience! Maybe it will deter them from committing any crimes in the future! . . . . maybe one nighters should be compulsory for all kids!
1 comment:
Well as I see it, either:
1) the officers had no discretion due to imperatives from higher management, perhaps regarding anti-social behaviour
2) the kids were acting in such a way that made the officers consider an arrest to be the best course
Also they weren't 'building a tree', there were as I understand it vandalising a tree in a public place in an attempt to build a tree house. Loose branches or no, I still don't like it.
The fuss about the custody procedures would be funny if people weren't so serious about it though. Perhaps everyone needs a one-nighter to find out how things work?
Just like all politicians need a ridealong or two.
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