Medford, Oregon Police officer refuses to aid in saving child.

[eliduc]

On the local news last night: A four year old child was locked in a car in the middle of the afternoon with the windows rolled up when the door locks mal functioned. The caucasian mother, in a state of panic called Medford police. When the officer arrived he refused to break a window in the car. The mother said he acted unconcerned. The Medford Police Department told the news station it was up to the individual police officer whether or not to break a window. The officer's excuse was that a tow truck had already been called. The mother stated the officer seemed unconcerned about the safety of the child. If someone other than the mother had called the police the mother would probably have been arrested for endangerment. Studies have shown that militarization of police departments have led to the police being trained to regard the public as the enemy. Protect and Serve is dead in some departments. In the news segment the newscaster was standing in front of the Department of Human Service sign. I wonder if the officer would have been more concerned if the call had come from East Medford which is populated by doctors and attorneys. Someone else broke the window.

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[SHPD_Retired]

Nothing in your narrative says that the child was in any kind of distress. If the child was then I think the Officer acted improperly, if it was not then there was no need to break a window since the tow company could get into the car without damaging it. Hard to lay blame somewhere when there are not enough facts to warrant a conclusion.

 

[wichaka]

Two things are glaring in your post;

1 - If the mother requests the window to be broke, then it should be broke...should be no problem there. But as always, would like to hear in more detail what the Officer was thinking.

2 - "Studies have shown that militarization of police departments have led to the police being trained to regard the public as the enemy."
Someone is going have to present the training curriculum on that, before I believe that is happening.
If the curriculum is presented, then me thinks we can safely say that some dept.'s are, or are getting closer to becoming some sort of a "Police State"

 

[Certaindeaf]

The dumb broad should know how to break her own windows.

 

[The Heretic]

She could have broke the window - what was stopping her??

If my child was in a car and I want the window broke so I could get to the child, you would bet I would find a way, I wouldn't need to call a LEO to get it done - and yes, I could do it safely.

Again, missing info.

What was the temps?

Was the car in the shade or the sun?

How long had the child been in the car?

Was the child showing any signs of distress?

How long did the tow truck take to arrive?

Why did the mother feel she couldn't break the window herself?

The door locks malfunctioned? Or did she leave her keys inside the car?

 

[BillM]

Was she calling from outside or inside the car? Really.

http://blogs.app.com/saywhat/2009/04/02/woman-locks-herself-inside-car-calls-911/

 

[Tangent123123]

What's the relevance that she was Caucasian? Just curious.

 

[OLDNEWBIE]

Maybe white kids get hotter faster?

 

[BAMCIS]

What's the relevance that she was Caucasian? Just curious.

I'm wondering that too. Maybe they were from White City.

 

[The Heretic]

The lock stems on my car doors cannot be lifted or pushed from the inside - they are just a mechanism apparently to show that the door is locked.

To unlock the door from the inside when it is lock, you pull the lever twice if you don't push the unlock button. The first time unlocks the door, the second time opens the door.

The unlock button is on the center console and locks/unlocks both doors (it is a coupe), trunk and gas filler door (the gas filler door will apparently open if you in the car, with it stopped, with the key in the ignition - even if the doors are locked). This only works if you are sitting in a seat. Even with the windows open, if there is no one inside the car, you cannot lock/unlock the doors using the button or the door lever. This is so you can open the windows slightly in hot weather without the fear that someone can get into the car without the key. The exception is if the car senses you have been in an accident with an impact.

There is also some logic it has about when the window buttons will allow the windows to go up and down after you turn the ignition off. IIRC, it will only do it the first time while you are sitting in the seat - so you can't reach in later and make the windows go down - although, if you unlock the car, then again hold down the unlock button on the key fob, all windows will open for as long as you hold down the button.

I keep a spare valet key in my wallet - it is plastic, thinner like a regular key and has no buttons or smarts. It will open the doors, but not the trunk or glove box, but start the car so a valet can move the car, but for a limited distance and at limited performance, for a limited time. Thereafter you have to use the regular key.

 

[oli700]

Again, missing info.

What was the temps?
Its August in Southern Oregon....really?

Was the car in the shade or the sun?
Its August in Southern Oregon, shade matters not as radiant heat is plenty to do the job.....

How long had the child been in the car?
Heatstroke occurs when a person's temperature exceeds 104 degrees F and their thermoregulatory mechanism is overwhelmed
A core body temperature of 107 degrees F or greater can be lethal as cells are damaged and internal organs begin to shut down.
Children's thermoregulatory systems are not as efficient as an adult's and their body temperatures warm at a rate 3 to 5 times faster than an adult's.
Average elapsed time and temperature rise in a vehicle with outside ambient air temp of 80 degrees F
10 minutes ~ 19 deg F
20 minutes ~ 29 deg F

Was the child showing any signs of distress?
so waiting for a sign of distress is the trigger point to help someone in potential distress ?

How long did the tow truck take to arrive?
Irrelevant, he wasn't there at the time and many things can happen between dispatch and arrival.

Why did the mother feel she couldn't break the window herself?
Apparently you haven't broke many car windows. Unless one possesses the knowledge of tricks to break auto glass , like the police, it is very difficult....bullets will deflect off of auto glass, fist size rocks will bounce off of auto glass. You average person doesn't know the tricks to break auto glass

Not trying to defend the sheep but Medford Police are notoriously worthless and crooked.....believe it or don't.
All that cop was doing was avoiding a bill for a broken window at the risk of a child getting permanent damage from heat related injuries
Not sure why it was mentioned she was white but Medford Police are known for treating people of color less than human

 

[MountainBear]

There's an awful lot of conjecture in the above statement. Notoriously worthless and crooked? You get a speeding ticket or something?

 

[aslinged]

A four year old kid that can't open a door lock?

I've known dogs that could open door locks and operate the remote garage door opener.

 

[bakersman345]

What's the relevance that she was Caucasian? Just curious.

I thought it implied the child was not Caucasian. The officer was probably worried about a lawsuit brought on himself because that's the way people are. She could have busted a window her darn self. I thought police had those jimmy things

 

[Certaindeaf]

Again, missing info.

What was the temps?
Its August in Southern Oregon....really?

Was the car in the shade or the sun?
Its August in Southern Oregon, shade matters not as radiant heat is plenty to do the job.....

How long had the child been in the car?
Heatstroke occurs when a person's temperature exceeds 104 degrees F and their thermoregulatory mechanism is overwhelmed
A core body temperature of 107 degrees F or greater can be lethal as cells are damaged and internal organs begin to shut down.
Children's thermoregulatory systems are not as efficient as an adult's and their body temperatures warm at a rate 3 to 5 times faster than an adult's.
Average elapsed time and temperature rise in a vehicle with outside ambient air temp of 80 degrees F
10 minutes ~ 19 deg F
20 minutes ~ 29 deg F

Was the child showing any signs of distress?
so waiting for a sign of distress is the trigger point to help someone in potential distress ?

How long did the tow truck take to arrive?
Irrelevant, he wasn't there at the time and many things can happen between dispatch and arrival.

Why did the mother feel she couldn't break the window herself?
Apparently you haven't broke many car windows. Unless one possesses the knowledge of tricks to break auto glass , like the police, it is very difficult....bullets will deflect off of auto glass, fist size rocks will bounce off of auto glass. You average person doesn't know the tricks to break auto glass

Not trying to defend the sheep but Medford Police are notoriously worthless and crooked.....believe it or don't.
All that cop was doing was avoiding a bill for a broken window at the risk of a child getting permanent damage from heat related injuries
Not sure why it was mentioned she was white but Medford Police are known for treating people of color less than human

Back in Darwin's day, they didn't have cell phones.. put that in yer what if pipe.

 

[The Heretic]

I am well aware of what Medford is like this time of year.

I have relatives there, one of which is a LEO.

Not defending all LEOs (I was once one myself)

So my questions still stand.

What was the temp, etc.

There is a lot of missing info and hand waving doesn't answer them.

We weren't there, and the description doesn't give us enough info one way or the other. I tend not to judge people or situations based on hearsay.

 

[rick benjamin]

Who needs missing information?
Give this thread a fair hearing,
AND LYNCH IT!

 

[Member 34319]

I'm still confused to how a four year old couldn't open the door. If it had locks like said above, but is a sedan or coupe with a trunk. One could talk a child younger than 4 through getting through to the trunk and engaging the opening mechanism that is on all vehicles of a certain age.

Seriously the cop probably thought the lady was overreacting. He most likely was irritated by her and her child's stupidity and could not come to himself at the time to put up with it. It happens to all of us. Could he have calmed the lady and worked it over to were everyone was calm and waiting on the tow truck, yes. Did he, no.

If she was the type of women to seek the media for this ridiculous story, she would have been the type to sue for damaging her car to get her kid out. The cop did the state a favor by not breaking the glass.

20 bucks she still files a lawsuit for not breaking the window, or distress or something more stupid than this story.

 

[OLDNEWBIE]

Who needs missing information?
Give this thread a fair hearing,
AND LYNCH IT!

This vid should put the death nail into this thread.

 

[rick benjamin]

2 year old locked in car
Mom locked car with her keys (and kid) inside
90 degree day
tow truck called, enroute (slim-jim to the rescue!)
Police called, arrive
Mom breaks window
What did police ?
To break glass, so City pays for damages?
My opinion is the officer is an intuitive thinker, deserves atta-cop!
Drama, bubblegum drama!