Thursday, June 22, 2006
Crime and Punishment
Well as I was working on t he pile of stuff I'm sorting out, the neighbor lady rang the bell, she was on her cell phone and informed me that a little boy had broken the garage window, this was maybe two o'clock, she said he looked to be abotu 10 years old or so. Anyway, she asked me if I'd heard it, which I haddn't. She said the police would be by later.
Her evidence resulted in the boy being caught up to. The policemand talked to the parents, and then the boy and then me. The parents wanted to do restitution. I said 'I don't think it's going to run more than $30, I need some screen matierial, I already have a guy that fixes stuff around here. So either screen matierial or $30 would be acceptable resttitution. I know this family doesn't have huge amounts of money. it's a custodial parent situation. The boy seems to live with his dad. Soemtimes if there's been a divorce, kids take it badly and will be sad and do stupid stuff. I didn't want ti to go off too lightly but I wanted it to be enough to make it memorable for the kid.
Anyway I was very grateful to the neighbor and to the police for handleing this. The policeman I think was relieved that I had some compassion for the parents. It's not easy. I hope the boy learns his lesson.
I did tell him, 'You know that was a pretty good throw, under other circumstances it would not have been bad, you should be playing baseball or basketball! you could take Ichiro's job! or mabe Radmanovic's job! That'd be cool!'
A little girl from the blue house saw it too. I think the same boy may have broken the other window in the garage. Well I am not going to be all over them. I think too much might be counterproductive, but I did lay a rap on the kid that when stuff gets broken everyone is a little poorer.
I think he thought about it.
His parents I think felt very embarrassed, the littlb boy was too. I think he'll learn somthing and not do it again.
Her evidence resulted in the boy being caught up to. The policemand talked to the parents, and then the boy and then me. The parents wanted to do restitution. I said 'I don't think it's going to run more than $30, I need some screen matierial, I already have a guy that fixes stuff around here. So either screen matierial or $30 would be acceptable resttitution. I know this family doesn't have huge amounts of money. it's a custodial parent situation. The boy seems to live with his dad. Soemtimes if there's been a divorce, kids take it badly and will be sad and do stupid stuff. I didn't want ti to go off too lightly but I wanted it to be enough to make it memorable for the kid.
Anyway I was very grateful to the neighbor and to the police for handleing this. The policeman I think was relieved that I had some compassion for the parents. It's not easy. I hope the boy learns his lesson.
I did tell him, 'You know that was a pretty good throw, under other circumstances it would not have been bad, you should be playing baseball or basketball! you could take Ichiro's job! or mabe Radmanovic's job! That'd be cool!'
A little girl from the blue house saw it too. I think the same boy may have broken the other window in the garage. Well I am not going to be all over them. I think too much might be counterproductive, but I did lay a rap on the kid that when stuff gets broken everyone is a little poorer.
I think he thought about it.
His parents I think felt very embarrassed, the littlb boy was too. I think he'll learn somthing and not do it again.
# posted by Katja R. @ 5:05 PM 
Comments:
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I would have handeled this situation the exact same way; in fact I have many times in the past.
I can't stand people who insist on the Police getting invovled and staying invovled when there is another solution that will help the child learn.
John
I can't stand people who insist on the Police getting invovled and staying invovled when there is another solution that will help the child learn.
John
Around here, the police are too short handed to have a whole bunch of patience for people who would want them over-involved either! The officer who showed up was a younger officer, and very nice. The kid I could tell is basically a nice kid,and I think his father and step mother mean well. It's not easy to be a parent with not a lot of money. I'm not going to be in a hurry with them. I have a guy that fixes things and if they need to pay the restitution in small amounts, that is fine with me.
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