I witnessed the most disturbing thing today-toddler left alone in the mall! (toys, girls)
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Good idea. I just called the police and told them what happened. The police officer sounded pretty disturbed by this as well. They said they are going to look into this and talk to mall security about the incident. Hopefully it will prevent this from happening again.
I wonder if security would have turned over a child just to anyone. What proof did mall security have that these people were actually the child's parents/guardians? I mean - WHO DOES THAT? Leave a veritable baby alone for an hour in a mall play area?
As for mall security not having a responsibility to call police, I would think that some common sense could have prevailed - like calling police as soon as they found out that a child had been abandoned - no one had any idea whether those "ADULTS" would have returned.
We cannot assume somebody else is going to do something. You see a wrong, you do something. And, you wait to find out if somebody has done their job properly. And, if not, you demand they do it. Mall security in most states has no more power than you. They are just people in uniforms. I spent years in police work with people failing to act based on the theory that 1) somebody might sue me for alerting the police about something 2) its not my business. It is your business. After 9-11, there is one thing we all should learn: its our business. Secondly, I have never heard of any lawsuit, frivolous or otherwise, where a person is sued when they have contacted police about another's action as long as the initial report is in good faith
ITA with this. How can we complain about something that we didn't take responibility for ourselves? I don't say this to criticize the OP, it wasn't until she saw someone else falling short in their responsibility (security) that she thought she should do more.
There was a time where I would have thought this situation was outrageous, that it was not somehting that occurred regularly. Unfortunately I know now that it happens all the time, and that plenty of parents think nothing of it.
I wouldn't have even thought about mall security and called the police as soon as I saw them leaving. Seems like they were wanting someone to steal her...IDIOTS!
I am appauled by this. my child was "taken" from me in my local Costco while sleeping in my shopping cart. I simply turned to look for a shirt in the correct size, and when I went to place it in my wagon, the wagon was gone.
The women was found on the other side of Costco and claimed "Oh, I thought it was my wagon" and rushed away. Yeah right.. she made it all the way to the other side of that large warehouse with nothing but my sleeping child and a lion of pork in the wagon and didn't realize it was not her wagon!
Although Costco called a code adam and locked down the place, I was told by police that they have no authority to hold and retain her. However they could have kept the place on lock down and waited for the police to arrive before they lifted it. They didn't so this women got out to surely do it again.
Knowing this can happen right under your own nose, I cannot imagine someone actually leaving their child unattended. I would have called the police as well, but depending on where you live, would the police have shown up before they retrieved their child? If not, then this poor child will be left alone again.
People just don't think. Not only did they put their child in physical danger (what if the child fell or got hurt) but they are placing this child in danger of being abducted and possibly killed, beaten or raped.
I agree with you here. I have kept a VERY close eye on my daughter since the day she was born. When she was small enough to sit in a car seat, I had the kind that clamped on to your shopping cart. I kept an eye or a hand on the cart.
Even now I make her stay where I can see her and I make her hold my hand in parking lots.
I see parents dropping their kids off at the theatre and it just mystifies me.
Then I hear a story like this and I want to cry for the poor child and what kind of SAD life she must have.
I am appauled by this. my child was "taken" from me in my local Costco while sleeping in my shopping cart. I simply turned to look for a shirt in the correct size, and when I went to place it in my wagon, the wagon was gone.
The women was found on the other side of Costco and claimed "Oh, I thought it was my wagon" and rushed away. Yeah right.. she made it all the way to the other side of that large warehouse with nothing but my sleeping child and a lion of pork in the wagon and didn't realize it was not her wagon!
Although Costco called a code adam and locked down the place, I was told by police that they have no authority to hold and retain her. However they could have kept the place on lock down and waited for the police to arrive before they lifted it. They didn't so this women got out to surely do it again.
Knowing this can happen right under your own nose, I cannot imagine someone actually leaving their child unattended. I would have called the police as well, but depending on where you live, would the police have shown up before they retrieved their child? If not, then this poor child will be left alone again.
People just don't think. Not only did they put their child in physical danger (what if the child fell or got hurt) but they are placing this child in danger of being abducted and possibly killed, beaten or raped.
This really makes my stomache turn.
That is sooo scary, you must have been petrified. I would have wanted to physically beat that woman with my fists if I were you.
There are couples in this country that do not want their children and in fact, want someone to abduct the child(ren), relieving them of any "guilt" or "blame" when it happens.
If the parents do the children in, they will be prosecuted and incarcerated. That's not what they had in mind. They like their lives, they just want to lead that life without the child.
If the parents hand the child over to someone else and are found out, they will be prosecuted and incarcerated. Already discussed.
But if their child was abducted from a play area inside a mall with security, cameras and other children playing, they would be recipients of sympathy and free counseling and a massive manhunt. You get the idea. They would certainly be thought of as naive or foolish, but so far, that's not a crime. It would be really hard to prove it was their intention that their child be abducted.
There are couples in this country that do not want their children and in fact, want someone to abduct the child(ren), relieving them of any "guilt" or "blame" when it happens.
If the parents do the children in, they will be prosecuted and incarcerated. That's not what they had in mind. They like their lives, they just want to lead that life without the child.
If the parents hand the child over to someone else and are found out, they will be prosecuted and incarcerated. Already discussed.
But if their child was abducted from a play area inside a mall with security, cameras and other children playing, they would be recipients of sympathy and free counseling and a massive manhunt. You get the idea. They would certainly be thought of as naive or foolish, but so far, that's not a crime. It would be really hard to prove it was their intention that their child be abducted.
Why does everyone have trouble seeing this?
If those parents really didn't want the child, why did they come back to pick her up? Why not just leave her there and be done with it?
Actually doesn't the mall have cameras? I would report it to the police tell them what day time etc and they could go over mall security cameras maybe get a ID on the person!
It is worth a try for sure.
I just don't know WTH is the matter with people these days!
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This is horrible....
