Cops Go After Library Over DUE 5 yr old Kid } It was the Wrong kid!

adamfoxie* generated pic above

My initial reaction, as a mom, to the story(shown below) about a Massachusetts library sending uniformed police officers after 5-year-old Hailey Benoit to "investigate" two overdue library books was, predictably, indignation. Outrage! Cops going after a little kid? For library books, of all things?? Honey, if having overdue library books was a criminal offense, I'd be serving a life sentence with no parole.

But then it occurred to me -- actually, it was pointed out to me -- that while yes, the library and the police department both went way over-the-top here, my finger should really be pointing elsewhere. No, not at little Hailey, whose only crime was ... wait, she didn't commit any!

No, I'm talking about the person who let the police officers at her door scare her daughter and make her cry (poor thing thought she was going to be arrested).

Hailey wouldn't have been so terrified if her mom, Shannon Benoit, didn't allow the police officers to speak to her daughter in the first place. Hailey wouldn't be in the spotlight right now if her mom wasn'ttalking to the press, allowing them to film and photograph her daughter.

Granted, I don't know exactly how the whole thing went down -- maybe the cops forced their way into the Benoit residence and interrogated Hailey before her mom even knew what was happening (I highly doubt it).

But I know this much: If uniformed officers showed up at my front door and asked to speak to one of my kids, my answer would be "No." Maybe it would be "No, and what do you want with my child," maybe it would be "Hell no, come back with a warrant and maybe we'll talk!"

The point is, whether I would react calmly and rationally or flip my mommy lid, I can't predict with any certainty. Whether I would hand my 5-year-old over to the cops, however, I definitely can.

Of course I have to question the judgment of everybody involved in this story (except Hailey, of course). Still, why is no one else doing the same of Shannon Benoit?

What would you do if the police showed up at your door and asked for your 5-year-old?

BooksImage via Trevor Manteranch/Flickr

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (above)Jacqueline Burt 

has written for numerous magazines, newspapers, and websites. She is easily bored and often tired, so she requires constant entertainment to keep her awake. Dance, Monkey! Dance! 

  

CNN Actual Clip: -- A Massachusetts mom said police went too far when they paid her and her 5-year-old daughter a visit for failing to return their library books on time.

"She's 5; she didn't understand," said Shannon Benoit of her daughter, Hailey.

Police said Tuesday that an officer showed up last week at the Benoit's home in the town of Charlton to inform the family that the books were long overdue.

Hailey -- who was standing beside her mom when the officer arrived -- then burst into tears.

'Is that policeman going to arrest me?'" Benoit quoted her daughter to CNN affiliate WBZ-TV.

"I was scared," added Hailey.

The books, titled "How To Tie My Shoes" and "Eloise's Birthday," had been sitting on Hailey's bookshelf since April.

But a Charlton Public Library spokeswoman said that it wasn't just Hailey's overdue books that prompted the police intervention. She also noted $100 worth of late fees for overdue audio books checked out by Hailey's father, Tony Benoit.

"I asked the chief... 'When does something borrowed become stolen?" said Cheryl Hansen. "'The chief said, 'When it's overdue!""

Hansen said that despite a warning letter and library calls made to the family, the books had remained unreturned.

"We thought this would be a kinder way, a friendly reminder saying 'Hey can you bring this back,' rather than sending a summons," she added.

Police Chief James A. Pervier said his officers have been asked by library personnel to make similar visits to at least 13 other Charlton households over library late fees.

Officials say the police-backed crackdown has since inspired more prompt book returns among library patrons.

"We've gotten quite a bit back," said Hansen. "Even some things that weren't overdue!"

Benoit told CNN that she has since returned the overdue books, making the return trip to the library shortly after the officer's visit.