KTAR Eyes on Parenting: When is it OK to call the police on your kids?
May 17, 2017, 5:00 AM | Updated: 8:59 am
Is there ever a time when you call the police on your child?
“If your safety is in jeopardy? Call, long before things get hairy,” said Phoenix police sergeant Vince Lewis. “If a crime has been committed, you have to call.”
However Lewis also said he remembers once he had someone call because their kid wouldn’t bathe.
Calling the police on your child isn’t a step to take lightly, he said, because you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube.
“There are certain situations where if a crime has been committed and it fits our domestic violence statute, by relationship, we may end up having to take action,” he said. “And most of the time, that includes making an arrest.”
But your safety comes first. And remember, Lewis said, consider the long run.
“This is not a relationship ender,” he said. “Because it’s not going to change the blood relationship between you and her child or that close adopted relationship or that given relationship.”
“This could be a wake-up call,” he said.