Library Sends Cops To 5-Year-Old's House For Overdue Books
70 replies, posted
Source: [url]http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/03/library-sends-police-5-year-old_n_1181916.html?1325631443[/url]
Source 2: [url]http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/03/us/massachusetts-overdue-books/index.html?hpt=us_c2[/url]
[quote]A five-year-old girl from Charlton, Mass. burst into tears after a local library sent Police Sergeant Dan Dowd to her house to retrieve the child's two overdue library books, CBS Boston reported.
"I thought it was way overboard," the girl's mother, Shannon Benoit, said. "I closed my door, I looked at my daughter and she started crying." According to the report, Shannon's daughter thought Dowd was going to arrest her.
Sergeant Dowd told the station that, although long-overdue books are a misdemeanor, he didn't want to go to the girl's house.
"Nobody wanted to, on this end to get involved in it," Sgt. Dowd told CBS Boston. "But the library contacted us, and the chief delegated, and apparently I was one of the low men on the totem pole."
The Benoit's books had been overdue for "several months," but were quickly found and returned at the police officer's request.
It turns out the little girl's fears of being arrested weren't completely unfounded.
Back in September, Christopher Anspach was sentenced to 10 days in jail for failing to return his overdue library books after several months and multiple overdue notices.
"After several attempts had been made to contact Anspach by phone and certified mail with no luck, Newton Library contacted the Newton City Attorney and Newton Police Dept," a complaint obtained by The Smoking Gun stated.
In a more extreme case of book borrowing delinquency, an Australian library exercised leniency after a first-edition copy of Charle's Darwin's "Insectivorous Plants" was returned 122 years late.
Camden Council Library Services Manager Kathryn Baget-Juleff estimated the overdue fee would be around $37,000 today, after accounting for inflation.[/quote]
Thoughts?
Waste of police resources.
What vile scum!
Should have sent in SWAT, this was highly illegal.
Well if you're not returning a book then it could be counted as stealing, so the police would have to get involved. As far as I can tell it's not the officers fault the girl started crying, he even seemed reluctant to go there in the first place.
[QUOTE=Singo;34038900]Waste of police resources.[/QUOTE]
How else are they going to get their books back after giving them multiple notices?
[QUOTE=Medevilae;34038892]How long overdue?[/QUOTE]
Months overdue.
Title is really misleading. 5 year olds don't own homes, and indefinitely borrowing a book isn't acceptable. Library wanted their books back, and they didn't respond to the notice.
IMO it's justified.
[QUOTE]In a more extreme case of book borrowing delinquency, an Australian library exercised leniency after a first-edition copy of Charle's Darwin's "Insectivorous Plants" was returned 122 years late.
[/QUOTE]
Damn. At our school library we have to pay 50 cents for each day a book is overdue. I wonder how much it would cost to return a book that has been overdue for 122 years.
[QUOTE=ZestyLemons;34039002]Months overdue.[/QUOTE]
Things like that usually go to a collection agency, not to the police department.
i got like 2 library books that i took way back when i was 3. they are now 16 years overdue :v:
Well the library did try to contact them multiple times to get them to return the books... and they refused.
[QUOTE=SPESSMEHREN;34039119]Well the library did try to contact them multiple times to get them to return the books... and they refused.[/QUOTE]
So then it goes to a collection agency. Police have no business in shit like this.
Death penalty to that outrageous 5-year old!
Reminds me of the time I rented a movie, forgot to return it in time. And once I went to return I would had to pay 48€. But the seller agreed to lower it to 20€ and the rest to be paid in methods I am not going to list now :v:
I don't really see anything wrong with this. Just because it's not a huge deal doesn't mean they should ignore it forever.
[QUOTE=faze;34039158]So then it goes to a collection agency. Police have no business in shit like this.[/QUOTE]
Theft sounds like police business to me
Is this really newsworthy?
Not saying that there was anything wrong with this article being posted, but how does something like this end up in the news?
[QUOTE=HolyCrusade;34039448]Theft sounds like police business to me[/QUOTE]
Pretty sure that police have higher priorities than an overdue book.
police state
Should have just sent an invoice. As opposed to contacting the police. Not surprised none of the cops wanted to actually go there.
[QUOTE=Daniel Smith;34039007]Damn. At our school library we have to pay 50 cents for each day a book is overdue. I wonder how much it would cost to return a book that has been overdue for 122 years.[/QUOTE]
Approximately $22,265, not counting leap years or inflation.
I'm assuming the streets are free of crime now that cops are collecting library books from a five year old?
[QUOTE=Singo;34038900]Waste of police resources.[/QUOTE]
Yes and no.
Libraries are state funded (If I'm correct) and run on various funds and donations. Someone with several overdue books create problems mainly about money. If a person took or never returned a book libraries would never have books and become a money sink.
Books in public libraries are for everyone to use and that is why we "check them out/rent" them. If you don't return them it is like not paying a speeding ticket or fine. Warrants are created and vise versa. Its a deterrent and allows police to get stolen items back. So technically not really a waste.
This story however is terribly convoluted, yes the girl may have been upset but it is more likely the parent trying to spin a story to create some sorta of distrust or hate. I highly doubt the police would arrest a little girl, it isn't practical and does not make any sense. They got sent out to retrieve the stolen property and did so. The parent is just butthurt because she got embarrassed. Even then the police didn't want to go in or make a big deal about it, however they're public servants and sometimes have to do things they don't agree with.
Moral of the story, don't be a lazy ass and sit on rented book for fucking months. Meet your end of the deal and return the book or recheck it out at the date requested. The books are for everyone's benefit, not just yours. It isn't like they just show up saying "surprise we want our books back" they give out dozens of notices. Of course it isn't the childs fault in anyway, shape or form. It is just a lazy parent. Don't borrow a book if you're not going to take the time out to return it.
Not a big deal or big story. Must be a slow news day.
[QUOTE=ijyt;34039548]Approximately $22,265, not counting leap years or inflation.[/QUOTE]
Well typically a fine that big is replaced by the borrower having to pay for the book. A fine that big is a little ridiculous.
Can't believe nobody has made a Seinfeld joke yet. That being said yeah it's excessive, and the cop knew it was excessive, demote whoever told him to do that (librarian?) and be done with it.
[QUOTE=faze;34039464]Pretty sure that police have higher priorities than an overdue book.[/QUOTE]
You're nitpicking. Sending one officer over to pick up overdue books is not a catastrophe.
[QUOTE=Sanius;34040209]You're nitpicking. Sending one officer over to pick up overdue books is not a catastrophe.[/QUOTE]
I'm not nitpicking.
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