We live in a good community, but even "tony" suburbs have their crime. We encourage Andy to do lots of walking. Late this afternoon after school, Andy was looking forward to playing on the family Play Station 2, because the school gave all students in the district 3 days off. It was the end of the grading period. He enjoyed a boxing game, but the disc was scratched up. Since we have a membership at a store called Game Crazy, he was able to walk the 1/2 mile and get the game's scratches removed, for free.
Unfortunately, he took a path that has many apartment complexes. He was approached by 3 tall high schoolers, all young men, & they asked what he had in the bag. Andy answered, "none of your business."
They followed him and yanked the bag carring the boxing game in it. Maribeth wanted him to report the incident to the police. Andy was embarassed and afraid of a trial where he would have to testify against 3 young punks.
Yet, we all know that in a town of 20,000, the police are very unlikely to find them. There will be no trial. The police admitted that there were a good deal of thefts in the apartment complexes near where Andy was robbed. The interesting thing that the officers said was that they caught teenagers Andy's age making the thefts!
So, what are we going to do about this? Well, 1st of all, it's absolute bullshit to say that Andy can't walk to Game Crazy anymore. It's absolute bullshit to say to Ted that he can't go to Subway when he earns his pay for work done at home, b/c the Subway restaurant is only a quarter mile away.
However, I told both my sons that adjustments need to be made. First, Andy will walk down the much safer US Highway 6, rather than the backstreet he took. Ted will not order carry out when going to Subway, because the young punks were drawn to Andy's bag. He will eat at Subway instead.
Like I said, Andy didn't want to go to the police station. I agreed 100% with Maribeth that he needed to make a report. I told Andy that if he didn't go to the police, he was letting the whole community down. That was a pretty melodramatic statement, but there is truth to it. When something like this happens, the police patrol that area more, and there will be a item in our local paper of a young 13 yr. old getting robbed. I doubt that Andy's name will be in the paper. There needs to be awareness that even in decent towns, thefts happen.
Andy, in the end, was glad he went to the police station as the questioning was professional and matter of fact. Let's hope that safe methods will now lead to safe results.
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There will be another post coming this weekend about news from family. Just haven't had time.
Unfortunately, he took a path that has many apartment complexes. He was approached by 3 tall high schoolers, all young men, & they asked what he had in the bag. Andy answered, "none of your business."
They followed him and yanked the bag carring the boxing game in it. Maribeth wanted him to report the incident to the police. Andy was embarassed and afraid of a trial where he would have to testify against 3 young punks.
Yet, we all know that in a town of 20,000, the police are very unlikely to find them. There will be no trial. The police admitted that there were a good deal of thefts in the apartment complexes near where Andy was robbed. The interesting thing that the officers said was that they caught teenagers Andy's age making the thefts!
So, what are we going to do about this? Well, 1st of all, it's absolute bullshit to say that Andy can't walk to Game Crazy anymore. It's absolute bullshit to say to Ted that he can't go to Subway when he earns his pay for work done at home, b/c the Subway restaurant is only a quarter mile away.
However, I told both my sons that adjustments need to be made. First, Andy will walk down the much safer US Highway 6, rather than the backstreet he took. Ted will not order carry out when going to Subway, because the young punks were drawn to Andy's bag. He will eat at Subway instead.
Like I said, Andy didn't want to go to the police station. I agreed 100% with Maribeth that he needed to make a report. I told Andy that if he didn't go to the police, he was letting the whole community down. That was a pretty melodramatic statement, but there is truth to it. When something like this happens, the police patrol that area more, and there will be a item in our local paper of a young 13 yr. old getting robbed. I doubt that Andy's name will be in the paper. There needs to be awareness that even in decent towns, thefts happen.
Andy, in the end, was glad he went to the police station as the questioning was professional and matter of fact. Let's hope that safe methods will now lead to safe results.
---------------------
There will be another post coming this weekend about news from family. Just haven't had time.
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