Should we press charges?

[Doctor P]

We had a dusting of snow last night, so after I showered and woke up DSD, I headed out for a little light clean up of the driveway and sidewalk. As I got outside to make my first pass, I realized that one of our "spiral tree" lighted Christmas decorations (3' or 4' tall) was missing. As unobservant as I can be sometimes, I knew for sure that the tree was there when I came back from getting groceries after 6:00 pm last night. I noticed faint footprints on the driveway that had been snowed over but were evident on the driveway and front sidewalk. I kept shoveling and decided I would try to follow the footprints after I finished. I did so and they APPARENTLY ended at the driveway of a house where some older rowdy kids have lived over the years we have been there. Anyway, I got back to our house--about thirty yards and finished cleaning things up when a squad car pulled up at the house adjacent to ours. Apparently, the police had already caught the suspects because I mentioned that we, too, had lost at least one item and the police officer pulled out some pictures and asked if any of the things in the pictures were ours. I said no, and he asked for a description of what we had lost. He said he would call another squad and would come back over to our house when he was done next door. He knocked about 5-10 minutes later and gave me a sheet from the police that was supposed to have been placed on our door when they found out about it the previous night. He also said that they had indeed recovered our decoration, but he thought it might be broken. He said that another squad car would be there within 10 minutes to deliver our decorations, and that we should tell them if we wanted to press charges. They came by within five minutes and took down my personal information and that for my wife and I indicated that we wished to press charges (having consulted with 99). We have not heard back from the police, I don't think, but would you press charges? (Apparently about 12 houses in our section of town and about 4 in our subdivision were hit and the decorations all piled at another home a ways away from our subdivision). What would you do? (I'm not disagreeing or regretting our telling the police we wished to press charges, but I am a little curious about what other people would do).

 

[caitycaity]

i'm not sure. i guess it would depend on if i had had trouble with the kids before.

 

[Cindy B]

Well, if other neighbors have gotten things stolen... I personally would.

Now, how come you never got the sheet that was supposedly on your door? Did they take that down as well?

 

[RUDisney]

We have had our pumpkins smashed from our front porch around Halloween. I have had my truck keyed in front of my house around a different Halloween. We have had the mirrors broken off of our trucks. We have had one of our trucks stolen from in front of our house in the middle of the night. I would not hesitate to press charges against any of these people who performed these senseless acts. Unfortunately, nothing ever came of any of them. Even my DH's jeep that was stolen was found before sun up, smashed up, but no one was ever apprehended.

Heck, I even call the police when someone parks up on my grass at the curb. I pay to keep my grass looking beautiful and tire tracks aren't part of the equation. The person who parked there gets a ticket for being inconsiderate and stupid.

 

[Beauty]

Okay I'm going to be totally honest ! When I was a teenager a group of us went around the neighborhood and "stole" Christmas decorations and set them all up in one of our friends yard...this girls mom was laughing so hard when she saw them the next morning....but let me stress that everyone knew everyone in the neighborhood and they all laughed about it. We were never going to keep the decorations and they were all returned to the owners after the prank but WE DID NOT TELL ANY OF THEM BEFORE WE DID IT, which looking back we should have, we also could have gotten into some serious trouble. To this day though we laugh about it.

My question is, are these good kids who were pulling a prank or did they steal them to sell them or keep them themselves. It would all depend on the circumstances with me. I'm 31 now and look back on some of the things we did as teenagers and can't help but laugh, BUT nothing we ever did was to keep or to sell etc.

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

I probably wouldn't...the loss is too small to make the time commitment cost effective. I also like to minimalize conflict and stress.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Yes I would press charges. If you committ a criminal act then a punishment should ensue. HOWEVER...
If the boys came to the door and apologize (truely) and paid for the items...then I might be swayed. Remorse for the act would determine my actions most likely, unless of course this was the millionth time the kids did it.

I am glad you found out who it was so now you can keep an eye out.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

<font color=navy>I think there's a big difference between a prank and stealing... this sounds more like stealing.

I would have pressed charges. Maybe this lesson MAY circumvent a harsher crime/punishment later in their lives.

Good luck.

 

[Kallison]

Yes, maybe it will scare them from doing something even dumber.

Footprints in the snow - how stupid can you be??

 

[kejoda]

I would press charges. The things that they steal will only get more valuable. Maybe this will show them that they need to grow up.

 

[JulesMom]

I would have pressed charges.

 

[Rajah]

Yup, I would suggest it. As MaryJo said, it may teach them a lesson and prevent future problems.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

Hi Dr. P and 99.... I would press charges, this was a malicious act done not to just your family but to others in your area and probably will continue if they are not taught a lesson.. I am a policeman's daughter so maybe I am a little biased........we have laws and they need to be enforced.. stealing is against the law...

 

[nativetxn]

I think that if I determined it was a prank I probably wouldn't press charges. I might have a discussion with the young person and their parents and tell them that if it happened again I <b>would</b> press charges.

If it was <b>theft</b> or done maliciously, then, yes, I would press charges.

 

[Serena]

If it were a prank, I'd see that they were given other things to do to occupy their time. Like chores for the very neighbors they stole from. I don't know how they would legally inforce this though.
If it were out and out stealing, I'd press charges.

 

[chelsea&amp;austinsmom]

I would press charges. If they get away with it once they will do it again. Then it will only get worse believe me. I'm a police dispatcher and see it all the time.

 

[crazyme5kids]

Nope I wouldn't press charges. I would speak with the parents, and then to the kids. They got caught by the police and hopefully that would scare them not to do something stupid like that again.

 

[doxdogy]

I would press charges.

 

[Mskanga]

YES! No questions asked.

 

[bsnyder]

I would definitely ask questions, and try to find out something about these kids.

Even really good kids occasionally do really stupid things!

I know, because one of my sons was involved in a somewhat similar incident last year. It was one of the biggest shocks and disappointments I've ever had as a parent and it's actually painful for me to even post about it here!

Luckily, the people involved sized up the situation pretty well when the boys came to apologize and offer to make restitution. The people had the option of whether to press charges and thankfully, they said they could tell that my son was a good kid that had made an extremely bad decision.

He was punished very harshly, and it took him almost 6 months to earn the money to pay me and his dad back, but I think the terror he felt at the possibility that charges might be filed was the most effective punishment!

If something like that EVER happens again with my son, I'd be the first one to URGE that charges be filed.

Doctor P, hopefully you'll be able to find out something about these kids, and whether this is a chronic problem or an immature mistake.