Should It Be Considered An Offense?

[Rainman]

You've heard of people calling cops only to tell them once they get on the scene that all they wanted was some company. Others call cops saying it's an emergency and they speed over only to find out that it's a mother who is angry at her kid because he doesn't want to brush his teeth and she called the cops because she thought they would make him . . .

Should these people who waste cops' time be arrested?

 

[lushlala]

Yes absolutely, I think they ought to be made to feel the harsh end of the law! Maybe not a prison sentence as we need all the prison space we can get for more serious offences. Maybe they could be made to do community service or hit with hefty on the spot fines for wasting precious police time.

 

[Shimus]

Arrested? Heavens no. Fined? HEAVILY. They should pay a penalty for disrupting the local peace and law when they could be doing better things.

 

[Josie]

Absolutely not. It's so power hungry it's ridiculous. How about finding help for the person who is so lonely they call the police to come spend time with them. How sad is that? And how revolting that anyone would think of punishing them. For the parent, how about sending them to a parenting class or something, with a reminder that the police are not there to do their job for them. This is exactly what I detest about society.. punish everything. Just like most parents. There is no real learning in it.. just a smack upside the head.

 

[Gabe]

I think arresting them is a step too far as it is a minor offense. They do need to be taught a lesson though and be fined for wasting public resources and also community service as a deterrent and an example to others.

Maybe repeat offenders could get cautions and then perhaps more severe measures could be taken?

 

[katherine25]

I agree with the comment above. I think arresting them might be taking it a little far however I do think they should be fined for wasting the officers time when they could be rushing to a real emergency. I also think that community service is a great idea, give back to the community for wasting our tax dollars on a silly call such as "my son wont brush his teeth"

 

[missbishi]

It is an offence in the UK and you can be heavily fined for "wasting police time". Quite rightly so, our emergency services are already stretched too far without having to deal with pranks and pointless calls.

 

[thegrey1]

I think our police officers would be hard pressed to babysit lonely and/or deranged people. There are families and agencies for that. I think if the perp is simple-minded, a warning should do. If they are just "entitled," a hefty fine is definitely in order. We can't afford for this stuff to be going on, while an assault might be taking place across town.

 

[IshieVonDyson]

I’m honestly surprised people in the USA don’t get fined for it. It takes precious time away from police officers who might be needed elsewhere. I don’t think I’m for arresting them either, unless they’re repeat offenders, but warnings and fines, yes.

 

[Peachdejour]

I've heard of parents calling the non-emergency number and asking if a police officer is available to come talk to a child. Many officers are happy to come talk kids about being safe, stealing etc if its a slow night (especially in the smaller towns). I can see where this can be a large problem in big cities and if it's called on emergency lines. 911 should not be abused and it is a misdemeanor in some cities to misuse emergency services.

 

[JoanMcWench]

Arresting anyone is not the solution to anything. It's not the solution to most crimes we arrest people for as it is now. I think the solution to this is addressing the problem when it presents itself. I read something up there where fining would be a solution & it made me think 'is that realistic'. Mind you most people that are penalized with fines through parking or driving regulations are not paying said fines & clogging the system.

 

[Diane Lane]

For a first offense, no, I don't think they should be punished. I think they should be educated about the purpose of calling the police, and what constitutes an emergency. Some people just don't seem to understand. If it's the case of someone who is elderly or disabled and lonely, there should be a social services referral, so a social worker or therapist can follow up with the person, and see if there are services needed. Perhaps that person can be put in touch with local resources where the person can go during the day to either be kept occupied, fed, entertained (card games with others like him/her, etc.), or, if able, do some volunteer work with/for others in need.

This could be the first intervention an overwhelmed parent needs, and if handled properly, could mitigate or prevent child abuse/neglect. If a parent is calling 911, there's a reason. If the parent is an idiot, and needs a wake up call, s/he can be fined for the first offense, but, if s/he is overwhelmed and needs a break, this could be a good opportunity for a service referral, so the home/parents can be evaluated to see if steps need to be taken to ensure the well being of those in the home.

I'm sure to many this will sound like a waste of time and resources, but many families, elderly, children, and disabled are falling through the cracks. There are quite a few stories in the news of dead bodies found after periods of time, when someone finally went to check on an elderly family member/neighbor, etc., or children who end up in the hospital or morgue, when early intervention could have made a difference, and saved their lives. I'd rather see my tax dollars pay for things like that, than be wasted on luxury travel and events, etc.

 

[tanker]

Maybe the parent is having a nervous breakdown because the their kids are out of control. To try and get their kids under control they call the police. Now days with all these laws about how you can't discipline your kids what is a parent to do ? So it depends on the situation. The police should lock the kid in jail for a while to give the parent a break and to teach the kid a lesson.

 

[Josie]

gross.....