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My husband loves to watch the TV show COPS. The episode that was just on was from 1999 and was based in Indianapolis. It showed a small glimpse into the world of child abuse and neglect.
The officer is responding to a call at approximately 10:00 P.M. “Neighbors” at the motel report that there are small children locked on a balcony and they are afraid the children are going to fall. When the officer arrives, there are two children, a little boy about 2 years old, and a little girl a year old or less. They are outside a motel room on a cement balcony with a metal railing around it, but the railing has wide enough openings that either one of these children could easily fall through. The children are outside with a trash can.
When the officer arrives, he has to knock on the window and yell to wake up the woman sleeping in the room. She turns out to be the children’s grandmother. The people on the street and in other rooms could hear the kids crying, but she was in the room on the other side of the door from the kids, and had the window open, but she could not hear them. Why? Because she was drunk and/or high. The officers found drug paraphernalia (complete with razors) within reach of the children, and open bottles of alcohol.
The officers were unable to determine the last time that the kids had eaten. They also had to take the little boy to the hospital because they smelled alcohol on him, and on his breath. He was acting lethargic and the officers suspect that he had ingested some alcohol. They were unsure if he ingested anything else, or how these kids got out on the balcony. Did they climb out the window? Did they get the door open? Did the grandmother put them out on the balcony?
The kids easily went to the officers to be held, which tells me one of a few things. They are used to police involvement in their lives, or they are used to being cared for by whoever is handy. Both of the children stopped crying as soon as the officers picked them up. I have a feeling this is a familiar scene for them.
The grandmother was arrested on child neglect charges, possession of drug paraphernalia and already had a warrant out for her arrest. There was no mention as to where the kids’ mother was.
I wonder where these kids are now, 8 years after this episode originally aired. Did they remain in foster care? What effects have this episode, and probably others, had on their lives. When I see things like this, I just want to scoop these kids up and hug and cuddle them.
