32-year-old man calls cops on 2 and 7-year-old children playing outside unattended, neighbor responsible for the kids screams at him for not letting them into his house: 'The officer just let her leave with the boy and didn't even go talk to the parents'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Mar 12, 2025 9:00 PM EDT

I hate that we live in such a surveillance culture. I understand parents wanting to protect their kids as much as they can, but forbidding kids from playing outside independently has a hugely negative impact on children. If they feel safe playing in their neighborhood without needing to ask their parents every five seconds if they're allowed to do something, the choices they make independently will help them build confidence and make decisions in school and in life. A friend of mine had the cops called on her because she was riding her bike by herself as a 10-year-old. Many citizens would rather be "better safe than sorry," but a 10-year-old riding a bike is about as regular as it gets.

While I think kids eight and up can, for the most part, be trusted to play outside by themselves, toddlers and little kids should have someone responsible looking after them. 

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  • The neighbor in this story called the cops on unattended kids for a valid reason. A 7-year-old was watching after a 2-year-old, and nobody was watching the 7-year-old to ensure she was okay. Naturally, his neighbor (who isn't the kid's parent) responsible for watching them was not pleased with this call, nor was the officer particularly concerned about the situation.

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    Cheezburger Image 10478908672
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    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02
    Some little kid was outside playing with my boys in a suburban neighborhood, he was 2 years old couldnt even talk yet. If I had to guess, he probably had only been walking for 8 months he was that young. He was out there with his "cousin/sister" who was only 7 (she didnt know how she was related to him when I asked "is that your brother?"). I
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  • 03
    have no idea who either of these children are. I've seen the sister/cousin before in the neighborhood but where she lived or what her name is I couldn't tell you. So I called the non emergency number and told them "hey theres this 2 year old little boy out here without an adult and his 7 year old sister, what do you want me to do?" and
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    the dispatcher told me to keep them there and they would send an officer out. She asked me to stay on the phone until the officer got there and while waiting they tried to leave so I told the dispatcher that and she said she wanted me to keep them there so the officer could talk to the kids parents. So I asked if they would stay and they did.
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  • 05
    The officer finally showed up and right when he did our neighbor came out and was like "why did you call the police this isnt a police matter" (this child is NOT my neighbors child, I had until tonight a good rapport with my neighbor so I knew it wasnt theirs). I was like "m'am this boy cant even talk yet hes so young" and she started screaming at me saying I should have taken him
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    into my house and kept him safe. I said "Im not taking some 2 year old kid into my home without the parents knowing" (i'm a 32 year old male) She kept screaming at me saying "we take care of the kids in our neighborhood, if it was your kids I would do the same! you let them run around without you out here what if you were miles away and you found
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    out that someone called the police on your kids" (Which isnt true, because my kids hate that I only let them outside if Im with them). She said Im a bad person because Im treating it "like hes neglected". She told the officer that she will handle it and started walking the boy home.
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    Im dumbfounded and embarrassed. Like what the f was I supposed to do just let this little kid run around the neighborhood? The cars use our street as a drag strip cause its so straight and long and this kid couldnt even form words he was that young. The officer just let her
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  • 09
    leave with the boy and didnt even go talk to the parents. The whole neighborhood came outside to see what was happening cause this lady was screaming at me. So am I the ah le?
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  • 10
    sgwaba Why did the cop release the kids to a non-relative with anger management issues? NTA
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    pm_me_jupiter_photos OP Im wondering the same thing, I told the officer "thats not his mom" and he kinda just shrugged
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    Lucky_Bit_5649 • 17h ago Call the police station and inform them of the situation, ask to speak to a higher up. It's ridiculous that they would even consider let alone actually release a 2 & 7 year old to someone, who until this point had been holed up inside their house, that was yelling and carrying on about how they would take other people's kids without informing anyone. Even more so after being told by the person that called for them, that said person wasn't even related to the child.
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    smol9749been Fr what if the neighbor was a creep or something?? The officer was hella negligent
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    Lucky_Bit_5649 Fr, that's what I'm saying, like it's insane to me that they just shrugged it off and were like "yeah what do ya want us to do about it"
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    Individual_Water3981 I'm wondering if she was the one that was supposed to be watching them and was like "go play outside with the neighbors."
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  • 16
    ColleenOS I'm with you on this one. The noisy neighbor was supposed to be watching both kids and she was negligent in allowing a 7 yr old to be responsible for a 2 yr old. Even if she was watching from a window, a 2 yr old shouldn't be outside alone without an adult present
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    writierthanyou The truest thing I've read recently is that you know a story here is true when the cops are useless. NTA. Also, why didn't the neighbor step in sooner?
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    pm_me_jupiter_photos OP Id like to know the same thing. She like waiting until the cops got there then rushed me. I have the whole interaction on my doorbell camera too, you can clearly hear her yelling at me and the cop just standing there watching.
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    Fickle_Toe1724 NTA. The children in question could not give names or an address? Phone number? Or relationship? No. No 7 year old should be out in the neighborhood alone with a toddler. I am ashamed of the officer. HE should have gone with them, and talked to the parents. That little one is going to get hurt. The parents are irresponsible. Thank you for doing your best to look out for those kids. Your neighbor over reacted, and was r de
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  • 20
    jasemina8487 this... some toddlers are late speakers so I can understand the littlest one can't speak well. the 7yo likely knew the info but could have been nervous maybe? regardless a 7yo shouldn't be out with a toddler alone
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  • 21
    browsinghere1 NTA. As a Police officer, I've done this call 100s of times. A large percentage of times this exposes other neglects that need to be addressed. If it's nothing, we just ensure the kids end up back with the parents and clear it with no further actions taken. You did the right decision, other people's insecurities have no bearing on that. Also I am quite concerned that the Police allowed this neighbour leave with the kids. I'd they didn't even get their names id be following up with
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    pm_me_jupiter_photos OP The cop literally did nothing, the almost seemd ready to leave when the neighbor said "Ill handle it" to them. Thats when I said "Thats not his mom" and he kinda just shrugged and let her keep going. He said "In ohio theres no minimum age law for kids to be unsupervised".
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  • 23
    Illustrious-Mind-683 Personally, I would go to the police station and ask to speak to someone in charge, not just an officer. I'd ask how that situation should be handled. Then I would explain what actually happened. And possibly file a complaint because that officer could've left that child in danger.
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  • 24
    ColoredGayngels My husband's cousin had a CPS case opened last year for the exact same thing you described, minus the aggravated neighbor. Same ages too. Couldn't find childcare (single mom), ended up with the kids playing out in the yard alone while she went to work. Neighbor took notice. "No minimum unsupervised age" is complete and total bs. What weak reasoning not to intervene.
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  • 25
    blooger-00- It's like the lady who yelled at me for calling the cops on a lady who hit me who was drink. She said I was ruining her life.... The dronk lady couldn't even stand straight and ped herself. NTA. You did the right thing for those kids.
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