Do you believe he was correct?

[gvd13]

You can't really expect to police the world. Unless something is grossly wrong it's hard to jump into other people's business. I think you would have to have seen the situation to really know if it warranted a police report being filed. Don't be so hasty to jump to conclusions.

[pickley]

Going to say no. Kids wander off, its what they do. She should have kept a better eye on him. But doing a police report is over the top.

[zshikara]

I'd have called the cops before returning the kid. There are far too many stupid people in this world and that neighbor is one of them.

[Deleted]

Yes, he was wrong. This isn't a situation that happened before nor did he have any reason to think something is wrong in the family. Your bro reminds me of those Chronic Reporters calling the police over anything they think it's wrong, no matter how stupid.

I'd love to have the same kind of Crystal Ball that some posters have, should he have waited for an accident? Can you assume it was just this once?

He was right, now the CPS will investigate, if they find nothing wrong then nothing happens, that simple.

I'd argue the same about anyone reporting something thats not happening, if they keep doing it and the police find nothing they'll stop coming, possibly caution them for wasting police time and will be great witnesses when you sue for harrasment.

[PACOX]

Around that age I could jimmy a lock and work myself out of a car seat. If you asked my mom to describe me at 4, she would say I was a magician with an amazing disappearing act. Unless there is obvious foul play you shouldn't call the police. I am sure the parent or caretaker already has tons of trouble thoughts in their minds wondering how the kid got loose and why they couldn't find them. Calling the police when it was obviously an accident is just adding wood to the fire and could potential cause problems with social services because of a mistake.

We just had a similar story in the news. The police shook their heads at the whistle blower because it was obviously an accident and the parent was already emotionally vulnerable.

[seraph1337]

I think 90% of people ITT have never parented, or probably even babysat. I have an 18 month old and while yes, she is capable of some pretty crafty escapes, simple things like child locks on doors and baby gates (real baby gates with latches my parents have trouble with) make sure she stays where I know she is. In public, she is never, ever, ever allowed to leave my or my wife's sight. If a child that young is walking around, outside, without the parent even knowing he/she is missing, that parent is straight-up hands-down neglectful. What was this mother doing that she didn't know her kid was missing but still (presumably) answered the door when her kid was returned?

Someone mentioned going to the bathroom - if I'm going to the bathroom, you better believe that my kid is confined to her playroom, and in the event she somehow manages to escape that, the front door is deadbolted. Not taking precautionary measures when you are a parent is putting your child's safety at risk, plain and simple. Making excuses for people is all well and good until the kid winds up missing/dead.

[Deleted]

The person who filed the report is obviously a person who thinks DDR was a great place. Spy and turn in thy neighbour.

Does he/she really think the child will be better off if it's taken from her mother?

[DarknessInfinite]

A situation like this happened to my little brother. And in no way are my parents bad at parenting, so to see that guy just jump to conclusions that the mother completely neglected the child and chose to file a report to what get the child out of her custody? People make mistakes or are careless sometimes doesn't mean that they aren't fit to parent a child. You can't be a perfect parent, i know mines weren't but they learn from their careless mistakes and try not to let it happen again, that's part of the job. If i were in that situation i wouldn't do that i would probably ask what she was doing first, to get a reason why the child wandered out the house