Something disturbing happened today

[Janeway]

I was in public at a public place where lots of kids were playing. My daughter was about 15 feet from me straight ahead playing with two other little girls who she is friends with. My son was about 5 feet from me to the right. I was sitting with one of the moms visiting. The other mom asked me if my daughter was ok. I look over and some grown adult woman had grabbed my daughter's arm and was dragging her away!!!! I started screaming "let go of her! That is my child!" and I got over to her and got her back. The woman took off. I was shaken and my friend suggested that maybe she thought my daughter did not have a parent there. I thought about it, but that makes no sense. My daughter was with two other little girls her same age and size. And there were lots of kids there. I sat there for another few minutes and had my daughter stay right by me and made sure my son was right by me. Then I said I had to go. I looked around and the woman was no where around. IF she was just another parent with her children and concerned about my child, why my child? And why did she take off? And why did she say nothing to me?

 

I am so shaken.

[moonsong]

I'm shaking just reading about it. Glad shes ok.

[marbel]

That must have been so frightening!  Did you report it to the police?   

[kitten18]

What did the police say?

[Farrar]

I would call and report that. Even after the fact.

[Mabelen]

I would call and report that. Even after the fact.

Yes.

[Guest]

Were the police called about this attempted kidnapping?

[Spryte]

You called the police, right? What did they say?

[Mabelen]

And HUGS. How dreadful! Thank goodness you are all safe now. You must feel shaken to the core.

[scrapbookbuzz]

That would totally freak me out, too. Although I might have taken it to the next level and actually confronted the woman. But that comes from two years of being a security guard at NFL games. I don't take flak from anybody. I'm sorry that happened to your dd. I'm glad you're all okay. Yes, PLEASE call the police, tell them what you remember, especially the location of the park.

[Janeway]

What did the police say?

I do not feel like they are being serious enough. They came back with "maybe she thought your daughter needed help" umm...no...my daughter was with friends. Why just my daughter? And if that was what the woman thought, why did she take off like that? Some guy there said he thought that woman was my daughter's mother until I screamed. The police just took the report and gave me a report case number and that was it. With no pictures or video, the description was to the effect of, heavy set light skinned woman with dark hair. That is it. That describes a large portion of the population.

 

Now I am going to be afraid to go to the park for a long time. And I do not buy that the woman was not up to no good because she took off and never said anything at all to me.

[Guest]

Well, that is NOT the reaction I would have expected either.  

 

The good news is that you have a case number.  That means you can call 911 with a case number and they know what to do.  

 

I did NOT have trouble like you had today, but I had dealings with a mentally ill person and the police opening a case number meant that when I called 911 and gave them the case number, it saved a lot of time and explanation.  I kept it on the bulletin board by my phone but at this time, with cell phones and all, I would find a way to keep it really handy on my phone.  I was also told to keep my phone on "photo" when we were out and about so I could get photos of her or her car if she was near me.  Never had to do it, but I obeyed instructions.

 

The thing is, it is good that you reported it anyway, because it is possible that they will get additional reports and be able to put something together.  A few months ago, we had a car entry/theft (I don't know the categories of when someone steals from you but there isn't much lost and no damage) but when I told my neighborhood friends about it, the same thing had happened to them over the past few weeks.  No one but me reported it to the police. I asked them about it and they said had they known, they could have increased patrols in the area, which would have either cut down on the incidents or caught the guys.  

 

I'm not equating the two--yours was a far more serious situation.  I'm just saying that it is good that you reported it and why.  If there's a snatcher around and they get reports from multiple people, and see a pattern, they can actually start to do something about it.  

 

I'm glad your daughter is safe.  And I don't blame you for being scared.  It's scary.

 

[Farrar]

I'm surprised by that reaction from the police. I am probably the last person to be suspicious about things like this, but that's pretty clearly some sort of nefarious something.

 

I hope you're able to get yourself back to the park eventually, when you're ready.

[mom@shiloh]

That is very frightening.  I'm so thankful that your dd is ok, although I'm sure you are both shaken.  

[nixpix5]

That is terrifying. I cannot imagine what you must have felt at that moment. I am so sorry :(

[Catwoman]

I was in public at a public place where lots of kids were playing. My daughter was about 15 feet from me straight ahead playing with two other little girls who she is friends with. My son was about 5 feet from me to the right. I was sitting with one of the moms visiting. The other mom asked me if my daughter was ok. I look over and some grown adult woman had grabbed my daughter's arm and was dragging her away!!!! I started screaming "let go of her! That is my child!" and I got over to her and got her back. The woman took off. I was shaken and my friend suggested that maybe she thought my daughter did not have a parent there. I thought about it, but that makes no sense. My daughter was with two other little girls her same age and size. And there were lots of kids there. I sat there for another few minutes and had my daughter stay right by me and made sure my son was right by me. Then I said I had to go. I looked around and the woman was no where around. IF she was just another parent with her children and concerned about my child, why my child? And why did she take off? And why did she say nothing to me?

 

I am so shaken.

  

I do not feel like they are being serious enough. They came back with "maybe she thought your daughter needed help" umm...no...my daughter was with friends. Why just my daughter? And if that was what the woman thought, why did she take off like that? Some guy there said he thought that woman was my daughter's mother until I screamed. The police just took the report and gave me a report case number and that was it. With no pictures or video, the description was to the effect of, heavy set light skinned woman with dark hair. That is it. That describes a large portion of the population.

 

Now I am going to be afraid to go to the park for a long time. And I do not buy that the woman was not up to no good because she took off and never said anything at all to me.

I find it absolutely bizarre that the police officer did not take you seriously. That makes no sense to me.

 

Have you spoken directly with the police chief to escalate this matter? It is crucial that this situation be taken seriously, as if there is a woman visiting a park trying to kidnap one little girl, chances are good that she will attempt it again.

 

Have you contacted your local and regional media to report what happened?

[Seasider]

I do not feel like they are being serious enough. They came back with "maybe she thought your daughter needed help" umm...no...my daughter was with friends. Why just my daughter? And if that was what the woman thought, why did she take off like that? Some guy there said he thought that woman was my daughter's mother until I screamed. The police just took the report and gave me a report case number and that was it. With no pictures or video, the description was to the effect of, heavy set light skinned woman with dark hair. That is it. That describes a large portion of the population.

 

Now I am going to be afraid to go to the park for a long time. And I do not buy that the woman was not up to no good because she took off and never said anything at all to me.

Perhaps if you ask around at the park - maybe make a fb post and ask all you know to share- someone may have taken a pic or video when they heard screaming.

 

That is terrifying. I hate to the think she will go to the next nearby playground and try again.

 

More and more often, I am hearing about bold attempts at child abduction. It is really frightening.

[Artichoke]

Perhaps if you ask around at the park - maybe make a fb post and ask all you know to share- someone may have taken a pic or video when they heard screaming.

 

That is terrifying. I hate to the think she will go to the next nearby playground and try again.

 

More and more often, I am hearing about bold attempts at child abduction. It is really frightening.

Agreeing here that child abductions are becoming more bold. I think we talked last year about the girl grabbed at Dollar General while with her mom. As for video: Do your parks have security cameras? Our city parks do. In the city next to us, the parks even have there own police dept. Is there anyone else you can report the attempted abduction to? How about going higher up in the dept? As someone else suggested, can you contact the local news? I'm surprised a camera team didnt show up. Here they monitor the police channels and would jump to report a possible child abduction. Usually when a child is involved, all the stops are pulled out to find the culprit. So sorry that you had a different experience but am thankful that your dd is okay.

[Guest]

Agreeing here that child abductions are becoming more bold. I think we talked last year about the girl grabbed at Dollar General while with her mom. As for video: Do your parks have security cameras? Our city parks do. In the city next to us, the parks even have there own police dept. Is there anyone else you can report the attempted abduction to? How about going higher up in the dept? As someone else suggested, can you contact the local news? I'm surprised a camera team didnt show up. Here they monitor the police channels and would jump to report a possible child abduction. Usually when a child is involved, all the stops are pulled out to find the culprit. So sorry that you had a different experience but am thankful that your dd is okay.

I don't think child abductions are getting bolder, I think we have more cameras around so everything ends up on the news. And the Dollar General thing was a guy who was high as a kite and probably had no clue what he was doing. Personally, random kidnapping does not make my list of concerns.

 

This is an odd story. More than one woman see another woman attempt to abduct a child and the police aren't interested?? Hmmm.

Edited June 29, 2017 by Moxie

[madteaparty]

And no one flipped out a phone to take a photo? Hindsight, I know. :(

[MommyLiberty5013]

You NEED to escalate this to a higher level within the police. And you need to write down exactly what happened from your perspective and your daughter's. If you can, get written statements of what the other children saw and what your friend saw.

 

Likely the reason the police didn't take you seriously enough is that IF this was an attempted abduction of your daughter, you left the scene and only reported it later. I understand why...you were rightfully scared. But, never leave the scene if you can possibly stay and are still safe.

[Lizzie in Ma]

that is horrifying!  Glad she is ok

[Artichoke]

I don't think child abductions are getting bolder, I think we have more cameras around so everything ends up on the news. And the Dollar General thing was a guy who was high as a kite and probably had no clue what he was doing. Personally, random kidnapping does not make my list of concerns.

 

This is an odd story. More than one woman see another woman attempt to abduct a child and the police aren't interested?? Hmmm.

 

 

Thats a good point about the cameras.  I hadn't really thought of that. 

[DawnM]

What did the other moms say?  Are they willing to go with you to escalate this with the police?  If this happened to anyone I was with, I would be charging at the woman and seeing where she went. None of the moms watched to see where this woman went?

[Lady Florida.]

Thats a good point about the cameras.  I hadn't really thought of that. 

 

Agreed. In this day when everyone is an amateur news reporter/photographer it's odd that not a single person did just that. 

 

Did the police interview the other parents who saw it? It seems odd they wouldn't take it seriously if the others corroborated your report. I would take it higher. Or call your local news station.

[FaithManor]

Did they interview her child or the other children? A skilled investigator may glean more clues for the description. Even young children are pretty perceptive, you just have to know the right questions to ask. They may have noted a tattoo, a large or crooked nose, eyeglasses, etc.

 

They should be taking this seriously. Sadly though many under trained officers will often make the assumption, male=nefarious, woman=not a danger. If a man had been trying to drag your child off, chances are they would be a lot more proactive.

 

Still, I would escalate and also ask others who were present if they saw more of the woman's face, her clothing, etc, and gently ask my child (assuming she is old enough, disregard if not) if she noticed anything about the woman.

[JudoMom]

I don't think child abductions are getting bolder, I think we have more cameras around so everything ends up on the news. And the Dollar General thing was a guy who was high as a kite and probably had no clue what he was doing. Personally, random kidnapping does not make my list of concerns.

 

This is an odd story. More than one woman see another woman attempt to abduct a child and the police aren't interested?? Hmmm.

 

 

I agree.  The whole thing seems very, very odd.

[Saddlemomma]

I'm so thankful you saw it happening and were able to stop that woman.  I, somewhat, know how you are feeling, but the perp never actually touched my child.

 

Back in my powerlifting days, I was on hiatus from competition and went on a trip with my BFF at the time, my parents, and eldest DD who was 4 at the time. DD2 was just a glimmer of the future.  Anyway, we stopped at a rest area in MA. BFF, DD & I decided to have lunch at a picnic table while my parents ate lunch by the truck because their dog was in the back.

 

As we were walking to a table in under the trees, we passed this one table that caught my eye.  There was a guy sitting there just reading a book. He had nothing else with him; just sitting there reading a small pocket novel wearing blue jeans and a white tee-shirt.  I have no clue as to why that struck me as odd, but it did and my "Mommy Radar" immediately went up.  As we passed by, he put down the book and watched us.  We sat at a table where I could keep my eyes on him unobtrusively.  He just sat there and stared at our every move.  I decided to test my intuition and, after eating, took DD with me nearby to look for some pretty leaves and stones (it was Fall).  We wandered away from the picnic tables.  He immediately got up and paralleled our moves at a discreet distance.  That really sealed the deal for me.

 

I immediately went back to the picnic table and told BFF to go with us to the bathroom.  She was perplexed at my quiet urgency, especially when I told her to take on of DD's hands and I would take the other.  We got to the bathroom and I filled BFF in on what was going on.  She though I was over-reacting, but then, she wasn't married & didn't have kids. I told her I was going out of the bathroom and she was to keep DD in there no matter what she heard outside the door. Then I stooped down and told DD to stay with BFF because I just had to do something and would be right back.

 

As I expected, when I walked out that bathroom door, that guy was right in the doorway waiting.  He took one look at me and backed up. I matched his steps, backing him up.  I was toe-to-toe with him and said, "You never had a chance."  I was a coiled spring waiting to pounce on him. If he had twitched I would have been on him, and I think he knew that. While this was happening, I saw my dad walking up behind the guy so that he was between Dad and me.  Dad asked if everything was okay and I said I was fine and that this guy was just leaving.  He turned and ran to a car that was running and parked parallel to the curb right next to the ladies bathroom.  They took off.

 

I can tell you that at the time, I felt like I could have lifted a fully loaded semi and wrap it around that snake. That is one time where I definitely knew I could inflict bodily harm on someone. Afterward, I was shaking.  My dad then told me he had watched that guy follow us to the bathroom from where he was eating lunch.  Dad also felt the guy was up to no good and after seeing me take DD to the bathroom decided to follow him.  Thankfully everything turned out fine, but I was shaken for a very long time and didn't let DD out of my sight.

 

That was 22 years ago, and I can still remember it clear as if it happened today. Always listen to your "Mommy Radar!"

[Anne in CA]

I think I have shared about an attempted child abduction at a library I was at. I was pregnant with dd then, so that was 17 years ago. The "perp" tried to drag a girl out the back door of the library where he had a waiting van. The worst part to me was that when the mother was shrieking for people to stop him, the whole library froze. I, a pregnant woman, chased him to his van and got his license plate number for the police. But if the mother had not physically stopped him by getting in front of the back door of the library, no one would have helped. There were countless people at the library, it was nearly full, and every one acted like it was a game of freeze tag. 

[maize]

I'm so thankful you saw it happening and were able to stop that woman. I, somewhat, know how you are feeling, but the perp never actually touched my child.

 

Back in my powerlifting days, I was on hiatus from competition and went on a trip with my BFF at the time, my parents, and eldest DD who was 4 at the time. DD2 was just a glimmer of the future. Anyway, we stopped at a rest area in MA. BFF, DD & I decided to have lunch at a picnic table while my parents ate lunch by the truck because their dog was in the back.

 

As we were walking to a table in under the trees, we passed this one table that caught my eye. There was a guy sitting there just reading a book. He had nothing else with him; just sitting there reading a small pocket novel wearing blue jeans and a white tee-shirt. I have no clue as to why that struck me as odd, but it did and my "Mommy Radar" immediately went up. As we passed by, he put down the book and watched us. We sat at a table where I could keep my eyes on him unobtrusively. He just sat there and stared at our every move. I decided to test my intuition and, after eating, took DD with me nearby to look for some pretty leaves and stones (it was Fall). We wandered away from the picnic tables. He immediately got up and paralleled our moves at a discreet distance. That really sealed the deal for me.

 

I immediately went back to the picnic table and told BFF to go with us to the bathroom. She was perplexed at my quiet urgency, especially when I told her to take on of DD's hands and I would take the other. We got to the bathroom and I filled BFF in on what was going on. She though I was over-reacting, but then, she wasn't married & didn't have kids. I told her I was going out of the bathroom and she was to keep DD in there no matter what she heard outside the door. Then I stooped down and told DD to stay with BFF because I just had to do something and would be right back.

 

As I expected, when I walked out that bathroom door, that guy was right in the doorway waiting. He took one look at me and backed up. I matched his steps, backing him up. I was toe-to-toe with him and said, "You never had a chance." I was a coiled spring waiting to pounce on him. If he had twitched I would have been on him, and I think he knew that. While this was happening, I saw my dad walking up behind the guy so that he was between Dad and me. Dad asked if everything was okay and I said I was fine and that this guy was just leaving. He turned and ran to a car that was running and parked parallel to the curb right next to the ladies bathroom. They took off.

 

I can tell you that at the time, I felt like I could have lifted a fully loaded semi and wrap it around that snake. That is one time where I definitely knew I could inflict bodily harm on someone. Afterward, I was shaking. My dad then told me he had watched that guy follow us to the bathroom from where he was eating lunch. Dad also felt the guy was up to no good and after seeing me take DD to the bathroom decided to follow him. Thankfully everything turned out fine, but I was shaken for a very long time and didn't let DD out of my sight.

 

That was 22 years ago, and I can still remember it clear as if it happened today. Always listen to your "Mommy Radar!"

Wow that is scary, huge kudos to you for listening to your intuition.

[maize]

We stopped at a fast food place once while on a road trip; there was a man who had his eyes glued to my family the whole time we were there. It made me extremely uncomfortable and we loaded up the kids and left rather quickly. When we got out to the van we discovered that one of the kids had left their shoes behind; I insisted that Dh be the one to go back and get them.

 

Nothing happened that day, but my alarm bells were ringing loud and clear. I'd never had a person give me such a --slimy-- sort of feeling before.

[MommyLiberty5013]

I think I have shared about an attempted child abduction at a library I was at. I was pregnant with dd then, so that was 17 years ago. The "perp" tried to drag a girl out the back door of the library where he had a waiting van. The worst part to me was that when the mother was shrieking for people to stop him, the whole library froze. I, a pregnant woman, chased him to his van and got his license plate number for the police. But if the mother had not physically stopped him by getting in front of the back door of the library, no one would have helped. There were countless people at the library, it was nearly full, and every one acted like it was a game of freeze tag. 

 

Freeze tag, exactly. The "herd's" response is to stand at attention and look to figure out what to do next or to wait for a stronger leader AKA a sheep dog type to take action. You were the sheep dog. Most crowds behave this way, which is important to note in this day and age with more public problems and violence. Also, most people are very unaware of their surroundings (people, circumstances, vehicles, exits, etc.), which hinders them in times like this.

 

[Scarlett]

Freeze tag, exactly. The "herd's" response is to stand at attention and look to figure out what to do next or to wait for a stronger leader AKA a sheep dog type to take action. You were the sheep dog. Most crowds behave this way, which is important to note in this day and age with more public problems and violence. Also, most people are very unaware of their surroundings (people, circumstances, vehicles, exits, etc.), which hinders them in times like this.

 

 

 

I have given this a lot of thought.  What would I do in a crisis. Locally there was a pit bull attack on an elderly woman....her younger--40ish friend was a few houses down and heard the attack and ran full speed into the yard and diverted the dog onto herself.  When she saw that the dog was coming at her she pulled her leather jacket over her head and balled up.  The doog attacked her legs so badly she was in a wheelchair for quite a while (my dh knows her).  A utility worker rushed to the yard and shot the dog dead or I fear both women would be dead.

 

I think of that often.  Would I have the courage to rush into that yard and save my elderly friend?  I hope.

[Word Nerd]

Freeze tag, exactly. The "herd's" response is to stand at attention and look to figure out what to do next or to wait for a stronger leader AKA a sheep dog type to take action. You were the sheep dog. Most crowds behave this way, which is important to note in this day and age with more public problems and violence. Also, most people are very unaware of their surroundings (people, circumstances, vehicles, exits, etc.), which hinders them in times like this.

 

 

This is covered in the Normalcy Bias chapter in David McRaney's You Are Not So Smart.

[lauraw4321]

I'm so thankful you saw it happening and were able to stop that woman.  I, somewhat, know how you are feeling, but the perp never actually touched my child.

 

Back in my powerlifting days, I was on hiatus from competition and went on a trip with my BFF at the time, my parents, and eldest DD who was 4 at the time. DD2 was just a glimmer of the future.  Anyway, we stopped at a rest area in MA. BFF, DD & I decided to have lunch at a picnic table while my parents ate lunch by the truck because their dog was in the back.

 

As we were walking to a table in under the trees, we passed this one table that caught my eye.  There was a guy sitting there just reading a book. He had nothing else with him; just sitting there reading a small pocket novel wearing blue jeans and a white tee-shirt.  I have no clue as to why that struck me as odd, but it did and my "Mommy Radar" immediately went up.  As we passed by, he put down the book and watched us.  We sat at a table where I could keep my eyes on him unobtrusively.  He just sat there and stared at our every move.  I decided to test my intuition and, after eating, took DD with me nearby to look for some pretty leaves and stones (it was Fall).  We wandered away from the picnic tables.  He immediately got up and paralleled our moves at a discreet distance.  That really sealed the deal for me.

 

I immediately went back to the picnic table and told BFF to go with us to the bathroom.  She was perplexed at my quiet urgency, especially when I told her to take on of DD's hands and I would take the other.  We got to the bathroom and I filled BFF in on what was going on.  She though I was over-reacting, but then, she wasn't married & didn't have kids. I told her I was going out of the bathroom and she was to keep DD in there no matter what she heard outside the door. Then I stooped down and told DD to stay with BFF because I just had to do something and would be right back.

 

As I expected, when I walked out that bathroom door, that guy was right in the doorway waiting.  He took one look at me and backed up. I matched his steps, backing him up.  I was toe-to-toe with him and said, "You never had a chance."  I was a coiled spring waiting to pounce on him. If he had twitched I would have been on him, and I think he knew that. While this was happening, I saw my dad walking up behind the guy so that he was between Dad and me.  Dad asked if everything was okay and I said I was fine and that this guy was just leaving.  He turned and ran to a car that was running and parked parallel to the curb right next to the ladies bathroom.  They took off.

 

I can tell you that at the time, I felt like I could have lifted a fully loaded semi and wrap it around that snake. That is one time where I definitely knew I could inflict bodily harm on someone. Afterward, I was shaking.  My dad then told me he had watched that guy follow us to the bathroom from where he was eating lunch.  Dad also felt the guy was up to no good and after seeing me take DD to the bathroom decided to follow him.  Thankfully everything turned out fine, but I was shaken for a very long time and didn't let DD out of my sight.

 

That was 22 years ago, and I can still remember it clear as if it happened today. Always listen to your "Mommy Radar!"

 

This story sent chills up and down my spine.

[Janeway]

I think I have shared about an attempted child abduction at a library I was at. I was pregnant with dd then, so that was 17 years ago. The "perp" tried to drag a girl out the back door of the library where he had a waiting van. The worst part to me was that when the mother was shrieking for people to stop him, the whole library froze. I, a pregnant woman, chased him to his van and got his license plate number for the police. But if the mother had not physically stopped him by getting in front of the back door of the library, no one would have helped. There were countless people at the library, it was nearly full, and every one acted like it was a game of freeze tag. 

That is how I felt. I ran for her, but once I had her, I looked around for my son, but I took my daughter back to where I had been sitting and my ears felt like they were buzzing. In hindsight, I should have stayed right there and stopped the woman from taking off or something. I don't know. But no one seemed to react. I was looking around and everyone just seemed to stand there. Then after the fact, a couple people were ..maybe she was just trying to help your daughter..and I came back with..then why did she take off and say nothing to me?

[Catwoman]

That is how I felt. I ran for her, but once I had her, I looked around for my son, but I took my daughter back to where I had been sitting and my ears felt like they were buzzing. In hindsight, I should have stayed right there and stopped the woman from taking off or something. I don't know. But no one seemed to react. I was looking around and everyone just seemed to stand there. Then after the fact, a couple people were ..maybe she was just trying to help your daughter..and I came back with..then why did she take off and say nothing to me?

Did the police arrive quickly? Did they interview the other moms?

[nixpix5]

Wow, so many stories of scary situations. I will add mine. When I was 7 years old in Carson City NV my best friend and I were playing at a park unsupervised. A car pulled up along the road near it and a man just sat there watching us. After some time he got out of the car and motioned for us to come over to him. We ended up running off the opposite direction. We had just had a "stranger danger" session in our class and we were spooked. He could have been harmless but it was scary.

 

About 5 years later this same friend had a 5 year old sister playing in the front yard. A man drove up and tried to grab her out of the yard. Luckily a neighbor had just walked out of the house and yelled, scaring him off. It made the paper and the guy was later arrested for a child murder in a different state.

 

Scary stuff. While stranger abductions are very rare, it is knowing they do happen that causes me to keep a close watch on my littles. I wish I could feel more relaxed about it but it is one of my worst fears.

[Jean in Newcastle]

A very long time ago when my 20 year old was a toddler, we were at a park. A man came and sat at the park just watching the kids. As others have mentioned, I had a bad feeling and listened to my gut. I called my son over and we started to walk home. But the man started to follow me. I didn't want to lead the man to our house. Plus, our house was a number of blocks away. So I banged on the door of a nearby house where I knew the homeowner. She let me in but thought I was overreacting even though she could see the man just standing on the sidewalk outside her house laughing. She didn't want me to call the police and I had to wait quite awhile before he gave up and went away. When I got home I called police. Amazingly they knew who he was- he was a known drifter with a criminal background. They couldn't charge him with anything but they did warn him off.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[QueenCat]

I do not feel like they are being serious enough. They came back with "maybe she thought your daughter needed help" umm...no...my daughter was with friends. Why just my daughter? And if that was what the woman thought, why did she take off like that? Some guy there said he thought that woman was my daughter's mother until I screamed. The police just took the report and gave me a report case number and that was it. With no pictures or video, the description was to the effect of, heavy set light skinned woman with dark hair. That is it. That describes a large portion of the population.

 

Now I am going to be afraid to go to the park for a long time. And I do not buy that the woman was not up to no good because she took off and never said anything at all to me.

 

I'm surprised that when the police got to the park that they didn't question everyone there. At minimum, all of the adults in case someone saw something different. Where we live, they'd have been there in minutes & some would have been looking for the woman asap while others talked to the witnesses. It sounds like yours didn't do this when they got to the scene, which would make me go way up the ladder to have this dealt with.

[goldberry]

. She let me in but thought I was overreacting even though she could see the man just standing on the sidewalk outside her house laughing. She didn't want me to call the police and I had to wait quite awhile before he gave up and went away. 

 

What is wrong with people in denial like this?  And the police in the OP situation?  It's not like these things don't happen.

[unsinkable]

I was in public at a public place where lots of kids were playing. My daughter was about 15 feet from me straight ahead playing with two other little girls who she is friends with. My son was about 5 feet from me to the right. I was sitting with one of the moms visiting. The other mom asked me if my daughter was ok. I look over and some grown adult woman had grabbed my daughter's arm and was dragging her away!!!! I started screaming "let go of her! That is my child!" and I got over to her and got her back. The woman took off. I was shaken and my friend suggested that maybe she thought my daughter did not have a parent there. I thought about it, but that makes no sense. My daughter was with two other little girls her same age and size. And there were lots of kids there. I sat there for another few minutes and had my daughter stay right by me and made sure my son was right by me. Then I said I had to go. I looked around and the woman was no where around. IF she was just another parent with her children and concerned about my child, why my child? And why did she take off? And why did she say nothing to me?I am so shaken.

Janeway...did this really happen? It seems to me you've been under a lot of stress lately and I'm wondering if this post is a way to get some positive attention.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

In my area, the police would be interviewing those present and issuing a warning just in case the individual tries this again. I thought that was a pretty standard policy. 

[EKS]

I'm surprised that when the police got to the park that they didn't question everyone there. At minimum, all of the adults in case someone saw something different. Where we live, they'd have been there in minutes & some would have been looking for the woman asap while others talked to the witnesses. It sounds like yours didn't do this when they got to the scene, which would make me go way up the ladder to have this dealt with.

 

My impression was that the OP left the scene before contacting the police.

[Catwoman]

I'm surprised that when the police got to the park that they didn't question everyone there. At minimum, all of the adults in case someone saw something different. Where we live, they'd have been there in minutes & some would have been looking for the woman asap while others talked to the witnesses. It sounds like yours didn't do this when they got to the scene, which would make me go way up the ladder to have this dealt with.

What surprises me is that Janeway's first post to this thread wasn't about how absolutely livid she was at the police department's response to her report of an attempted child kidnapping in a public park . She didn't even mention the police at all until others questioned her about it.

 

It's hard to imagine the police not taking this very seriously. I can't understand Janeway's lack of outrage. If I knew that a child kidnapper was on the loose in my neighborhood and the police were doing nothing about it, I would be contacting the chief of police, as well as every single media outlet I could think of. I would be shouting it from the rooftops in order to try to get that woman apprehended and to keep the other children in my area safe.

 

I can understand the magnitude of the situation taking a little while to sink in because it would be such a traumatic experience, but this is serious and could potentially mean life or death for another child.

Edited June 29, 2017 by Catwoman

[QueenCat]

My impression was that the OP left the scene before contacting the police.

 

It would be insane for no one to call the police from the scene.

[QueenCat]

What surprises me is that Janeway's first post to this thread wasn't about how absolutely livid she was at the police department's response to her report of an attempted child kidnapping in a public park . She didn't even mention the police at all until others questioned her about it.

 

It's hard to imagine the police not taking this very seriously. I can't understand Janeway's lack of outrage. If I knew that a child kidnapper was on the loose in my neighborhood and the police were doing nothing about, I would be contacting the chief of police, as well as every single media outlet I could think of. I would be shouting it from the rooftops in order to try to get that woman apprehended and to keep the other children in my area safe.

 

I can understand the magnitude of the situation taking a little while to sink in because it would be such a traumatic experience, but this is serious and could potentially mean life or death for another child.

 

:iagree: 100%; I cannot fathom the police reaction that she describes. Just can't fathom it at all.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

I don't really believe this story. All the parents there should have been all kinds of freaked out. There should be police staging a lockdown of the area while they search, media follow up, the whole circus, instead of everybody being all, "Ho hum, that was unpleasant, but happens all the time, no harm, no foul."

 

Unless you live in a child trafficking superhighway :( AND all the adults present were on drugs, somebody should have reacted a little less passively. It would have to be true that kidnapping attempts were normal AND that nobody cares much. Which is very unlikely, for any community, anywhere.

[QueenCat]

I don't really believe this story. All the parents there should have been all kinds of freaked out. There should be police staging a lockdown of the area while they search, media follow up, the whole circus, instead of everybody being all, "Ho hum, that was unpleasant, but happens all the time, no harm, no foul."

 

Unless you live in a child trafficking superhighway :( AND all the adults present were on drugs, somebody should have reacted a little less passively. It would have to be true that kidnapping attempts were normal AND that nobody cares much. Which is very unlikely, for any community, anywhere.

 

Thank you for expressing what I was starting to think..... But I do think that in a child trafficking superhighway, I'd expect a more intense reaction, not a less intense reaction.

[QueenCat]

I'm glad everyone else is outraged by the lack of police response, but based on the 3 interactions I have had with my local police in the last 12 years, I don't find the lack of response surprising. First, when we reported a major identity theft, the police chief told me it was our own fault because we bought stuff online (that wasn't even a factor in what had happened). The next time I had reason to call the police was because someone had set off fire crackers in the filler port of my car. Their investigation pretty much revolved around insisting that my own kid must have done it (he was barely 7, and even now at 12 wouldn't know how to light anything). Lastly, just a couple of years ago, DS's bike was stolen out of our garage. The cop didn't even look in our garage or ask about the serial number.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

I would expect some response to the above but nothing like what I would expect to an attempted child abduction. Experience shows that the police DO react to noncustodial child abductions in a quick & major way.