Bad Mom or Overzealous Cops?

[Nessu Karthorbek]

A mother who left her sleeping two-year-old in a locked car while she briefly stepped less than 10 yards from the vehicle has been arrested and charged with child endangerment.

Treffly Coyne, 36, said she was helping her two older daughters and a friend of theirs deposit some money in the donation tin of a Salvation Army worker at the time of her arrest.

The mother had left her two-year-old daughter, Phoebe, alone in her car in the Chicago suburb of Crestwood while she and the older children went over to the charity collector.
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When they returned minutes later, a community service officer blocked her path.

Ms Coyne is due in court on Thursday to face charges of child endangerment and obstructing a peace officer.

If convicted, she could be sentenced to a year in jail and fined $2,500 (£1230) even though an investigation by state child welfare workers found no evidence of abuse or neglect.

The case has triggered online uproar, with commentators both lambasting the police for overreacting and accusing Ms Coyne of endangering her daughter.

The incident occurred in December during a trip to Wal-Mart to enable Ms Coyne's children and a friend to deposit the 8.29 dollars (over four pounds) they had collected at her husband's office into the Salvation Army donation box.

She parked close to the shop and decided to leave sleeping Phoebe in the car.

"It's sleeting out, it's not pleasant, I don't want to disturb her, wake her up," Ms Coyne said this week.

"It was safer to leave her in the safety and warmth of an alarmed car than take her."

Ms Coyne switched on her hazard lights, locked the car, activated the alarm and walked the other children to the charity worker.

She took a few pictures of the girls donating the money before heading back to the car where she encountered the officer.

"She was on a tirade, she was yelling at me," said Ms Coyne, who tried to explain she had never let the car out of her sight.

She called her husband, Tim Janecyk, who advised her not to say anything further until he arrived. She was handcuffed and sitting in a police car by the time he got there.

Timothy Sulikowski, Crestwood police chief, would not comment on the case beyond confirming that Ms Coyne had put her child at risk.

"A minute or two, that's when things can happen," he said.

Ms Coyne's lawyer denied she had broken the law while the mother herself defended her actions.

"If I were going on a shopping spree then, yes, I would deserve arrest," she said. "I was standing right there. I never went into the store. I'm a great parent."

[Back]

Since Benita Jacks, people have been paying serious attention. Unnecessary or not, I think its good for the kids.

[diethx]

I personally think the cops overreacted. She was close enough to keep the car in her sights at all times, it was locked, and the alarm was on. I doubt anything would've been able to get at her daughter and harm her before the mother could reach the car, except maybe another car crashing into it. And if another car crashed into it, it's not like the mother could stop it were she standing there anyway. I think she was right to let the child sleep and stay out of the cold and sleet. It's not like she was walking around the mall and was too busy shopping to keep an eye on her kid, and the kid wandered off, which is something I see every time I go to the mall here. Where are the cops then? Heh.

[Snapp]

If the facts are what the article states, then yeah, sounds like the cops were in the wrong here.

Originally posted by diethx
It's not like she was walking around the mall and was too busy shopping to keep an eye on her kid, and the kid wandered off, which is something I see every time I go to the mall here. Where are the cops then? Heh.
:yeahthat: Happens all the time.

[The Ponzzz]

Honestly, I hate seeing children left in cars, no matter what the age. Kids aren't dogs. Ten minutes is a lot of time to leave a child unattended in a car. God forbid that car got smashed in, stolen or whatever else misfortunate thing happen. I think the cop was a bit of an ass and I think the fine is a bit high, but I hope it does teach her a lesson (if convicted).

I have a soft spot for young kids.

[Sean of the Thread]

it's a crock of shit. She's a good mother in my opinion.

[Drew]

The entire thing is bullshit, as a parent you have to make value decisions. What age should my child ride his bike to school? Will he/she be at danger of being hurt unnecessarily. Is the payoff worth the potential danger. We make these choices all the time and a parent must make them for their children, the state can fuck off and let parents do their job.

[RichardCranium]

Honestly, I hate seeing children left in cars, no matter what the age. Kids aren't dogs. Ten minutes is a lot of time to leave a child unattended in a car. God forbid that car got smashed in, stolen or whatever else misfortunate thing happen. I think the cop was a bit of an ass and I think the fine is a bit high, but I hope it does teach her a lesson (if convicted).

I have a soft spot for young kids.

It says she was standing 10 yards from the car, not that she left the kid in there for 10 minutes. She walked the other two 10 yards away, snapped a couple of pictures of them donating some money and walked back if she's telling the truth. Not so bad in my opinion.

[Gan]

The entire thing is bullshit, as a parent you have to make value decisions. What age should my child ride his bike to school? Will he/she be at danger of being hurt unnecessarily. Is the payoff worth the potential danger. We make these choices all the time and a parent must make them for their children, the state can fuck off and let parents do their job.

/Agreed

[Clove]

Yeah but at the same time...


You know, Miss Buckman, you need a license to buy a dog or drive a car. Hell, you need a license to catch a fish. But they´ll let any butt-reamin´ asshole be your father. Well, l´m gonna pick up Julie.

~ Keanu Reeves "Parenthood"

[NocturnalRob]

I have a soft spot for young kids.

I'll bet you do, you pervert.

[Clove]

...God forbid that car got smashed in, stolen or whatever else misfortunate thing happen...

Or God forbid she should be hit by a car while carrying her child across the parking lot in the sleet. You're describing an accident that can happen at any time she's around traffic with her children.

As for the "smash in" according to the article the car was within eyesight, locked, had an alarm and had its hazard lights on. Do you really think there was a thief waiting for a window of opportunity like that?

[NocturnalRob]

As for the "smash in" according to the article the car was within eyesight, locked, had an alarm and had its hazard lights on. Do you really think there was a thief waiting for a window of opportunity like that?

Just when you thought it was safe to walk 10 feet from your car...SMASH!

[Nieninque]

Too little information in that article to be able to come to any kind of informed judgement.

[Some Rogue]

"When they returned minutes later, a community service officer blocked her path."

What the fuck is a "community service officer" exactly anyway? If it's a regular cop, why not just say that?

[Alfster]

community service officer = parking meter maids

[Suppa Hobbit Mage]

If she was 10 yards away, how did she not see the officer hanging around her car? How did the officer not see her?

Seems excessive from the story, but who knows. As someone mentioned earlier, it's great that a child locked in a car got noticed. What if the car had been there 2 hours? The cop didn't know. It's a good thing, IMO.

[Blud]

I don't even have kids, and I think it's bullshit. Leaving you kids in a locked car during high summer with the windows rolled up while you go shopping in Wal-Mart is fucked up.

Leaving your kid in a warm car that is ten yards from you, locked, within earshot, and within eyesight while it's sleeting outside is not fucked up.

On the other hand, she said she was with a friend. Couldn't this friend accompany the other children to the donation box while she stayed in the car with the other child? Probably, but still I don't think she was in the wrong here.

[Ambrosia]

I read about this, it's sad the state always seems to nit-pick at the parents that do the best they can try to keep their children from danger but the children that are out there getting abused and beaten go unnoticed for years, sometimes until it's too late.

CPS where I live is brutal, my child had a bruise on his forehead from wrestling with his younger brother, so CPS came to my house, took pictures, asked my children questions and then proceeded to put me on a 1 month watch and insisted that I take parenting classes. I barely even ground my children, much less ever raise a hand to them, they are always clean and well fed, we live in a nice house in a good area, my oldest gets straight A's and my youngest gets A's and B's in school, yet they still made a "case" of my household.

My opinion.... they focus too much on the wrong cases.

[Some Rogue]

Charges are dropped. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23615083/?GT=43001)

[RichardCranium]

I love how the police spin it.

[BigWorm]

Charges are dropped. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23615083/?GT=43001)

MILF alert!

[TheEschaton]

Thank god for BigWorm otherwise I would have never clicked on the link, thus depriving myself of MILFy goodness.

[The Ponzzz]

I'll bet you do, you pervert.

Err, wha?

[The Ponzzz]

Or God forbid she should be hit by a car while carrying her child across the parking lot in the sleet. You're describing an accident that can happen at any time she's around traffic with her children.

As for the "smash in" according to the article the car was within eyesight, locked, had an alarm and had its hazard lights on. Do you really think there was a thief waiting for a window of opportunity like that?

Yes.

[Celephais]

MILF alert!
Dang... she can endanger me anytime..

[Clove]

MILF alert!

w00t! I'd drop some charges on her!

[RichardCranium]

What the fuck is wrong with y'all?

[AnticorRifling]

This is where she sues them and gets paid.

[Suppa Hobbit Mage]

WTF kind of name is Treffly?

[Clove]

WTF kind of name is Treffly?

The MILF kind.

[Stanley Burrell]

What the fuck is wrong with y'all?

lol

[RichardCranium]

lol

x2

We'd throw rocks at that in my neighborhood.

[Some Rogue]

x2

We'd throw rocks at that in my neighborhood.


Because they don't have a penis.

Yee Haw!

[RichardCranium]

Because they don't have a penis.

Yee Haw!

If you dig chicks with dicks that's your business. I'm not one to judge y'know?