'AITA for calling the police on a 2-year-old running around my neighborhood unsupervised?' 'I'm DUMBFOUNDED.'
"AITA for calling the police on a 2-year-old child running around my neighborhood unsupervised?"
Some little kid was outside playing with my boys in a suburban neighborhood, he was 2 years old couldn't even talk yet. If I had to guess, he probably had only been walking for 8 months he was that young. He was out there with his "cousin/sister" who was only 7 (she didn't know how she was related to him when I asked "is that your brother?").
I have no idea who either of these children are. I've seen the sister/cousin before in the neighborhood but where she lived or what her name is I couldn't tell you. So I called the non emergency number and told them "hey theres this 2 year old little boy out here without an adult and his 7 year old sister, what do you want me to do?" and the dispatcher told me to keep them there and they would send an officer out.
She asked me to stay on the phone until the officer got there and while waiting they tried to leave so I told the dispatcher that and she said she wanted me to keep them there so the officer could talk to the kids parents. So I asked if they would stay and they did.
The officer finally showed up and right when he did our neighbor came out and was like "why did you call the police this isn't a police matter" (this child is NOT my neighbor's child, I had until tonight a good rapport with my neighbor so I knew it wasn't theirs).
I was like "m'am this boy can't even talk yet he's so young" and she started screaming at me saying I should have taken him into my house and kept him safe. I said "Im not taking some 2 year old kid into my home without the parents knowing" (i'm a 32 year old male) She kept screaming at me saying "we take care of the kids in our neighborhood, if it was your kids I would do the same!
You let them run around without you out here what if you were miles away and you found out that someone called the police on your kids" (Which isn't true, because my kids hate that I only let them outside if I'm with them). She said I'm a bad person because Im treating it "like he's neglected." She told the officer that she will handle it and started walking the boy home.
I'm dumbfounded and embarrassed. Like what the f was I supposed to do just let this little kid run around the neighborhood? The cars use our street as a drag strip cause its so straight and long and this kid couldn't even form words he was that young.
The officer just let her leave with the boy and didn't even go talk to the parents. The whole neighborhood came outside to see what was happening cause this lady was screaming at me. So am I the ahole?
Here's what top commenters had to say about this one:
sgwaba said:
Why did the cop release the kids to a non-relative with anger management issues? NTA.
writierthanyou said:
The truest thing I've read recently is that you know a story here is true when the cops are useless. NTA. Also, why didn't the neighbor step in sooner?
Fickle_Toe1724 said:
NTA. The children in question could not give names or an address? Phone number? Or relationship? No. No 7 year old should be out in the neighborhood alone with a toddler. I am ashamed of the officer.
HE should have gone with them, and talked to the parents. That little one is going to get hurt. The parents are irresponsible. Thank you for doing your best to look out for those kids. Your neighbor overreacted, and was rude.
dryadduinath said:
It’s NTA for me, and if I were you I’d be thinking your angry neighbor had agreed to babysit and then…didn’t. A two year old should have adult supervision, especially outdoors. Honestly I’d prefer the seven year old had adult supervision as well.
blooger-00- said:
It’s like the lady who yelled at me for calling the cops on a lady who hit me who was drunk. She said I was ruining her life…the drunk lady couldn’t even stand straight and pissed herself. NTA. You did the right thing for those kids.
fckinfast4 said:
NTA. My three year old nephew managed to open the front door once when grandma had gone to go potty— well my dog decided that this meant they were going on a walk. They walked to the park that was down a grass hill and over a creek to get there.
In the mean time grandma is freaked out and has the neighbors helping look. Thankfully some couple noticed the oddity of this boy on the swings with a dog that won’t let anyone get close and no adults— they called the non emergency number and the dispatchers put two and two together.
Now we have a great story for later in his life— key words being later in life, because everyone did the right thing and reported something that wasn’t right!