Can it be done at another time?

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  As a parent...... I can perhaps see why.And its called "Duty of Care".The police were probably obligated to intervene as the mother was clearly in no fit state to uphold her duty of care, as the girls guardian.Sad fact of life for a section of the community Im afraid.DG

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  But if that woman was indeed a drug addict, it's likely that little girl has and will see and experience far worse. Embarrassment is most likely the least of her problems. As DG said, there is a duty of care to her and sometimes there is no good way to exercise it. Sometimes we see things that give us an insight into others lives that leaves us uncomfortable because we live a more privelaged life, don't feel bad about that, feel grateful that your own children won't need to experience what that child has, and if you are of a mind to, there is a great program called Big Sisters where you can support kids like that little girl.- Posted from rhpmobile

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  On_Safari

  12 years ago

  I have friends work at Roma St Station who all too often get left with this "Duty of Care" thing by drug users who go into the clinic and leave thier prams (babies/toddlers in it!) across the road in the station unattended while they go indulge for a half hour or so.......and yes Sweetgem embrarassment isn't high on the agenda. There are far worse things than that.

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  guarantee you the Police were not getting a thrill out of it either. Drug addicts can be very dangerous to themselves and anyone around them, from your description she was probably on heroin, ice addicts are far worse to deal with.   What you have to think about is that the Police were probably responding to a report of some kind, maybe a kid in a wheelchair just had his bag stolen, what would you be thinking if you witnessed that happen? I don't think you would have much sympathy for the young mother then. Drug addicts will and do take their kids with them if they can't leave them anywhere else.   I really don't know why our spineless politicians don't just legalize some of these drugs, functioning junkies are on the whole no problem. They become a problem when they are hanging out for their next hit and they will do or say anything to score, that includes stealing from you and me. The cost to the community is huge in enforcement, health/hospitals and safety. The streets of Australia would be a lot safer if the government could supply the product and a safe way to administer it. The definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. 100 years of enforcement has only made this problem worse.   Should add a disclaimer here I think ICE is NOT something I would like to see approved though.   Wow that turned into a bit of a rant, sorry.

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  Duty of care is very important, but I don't see why they couldn't escort the woman and her daughter to a more private area for further investigation.....and I as I work in the human service industry - one should never presume that cause someone looks crap they are on crap....many other illnesses can make you feel and look like shit....

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  Recently such people as the lady in question are being used as couriers for small amounts of drugs -----Mother and daughter.   In return the mother gets her drugs free so I would have to say good on the cops plus I agree with other comments made above..   I agree with you to but it has to be done nice or not..

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  What's more disappointing is that we treat drug addicts as criminals rather than people suffering from a health problem.

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  Statistically alcohol is far worse in terms of domestic abuse and fatalities. Yet it is part of our culture to indulge and promote. Legalising heroin would remove the underground activity associated, and ensure a safer product for addicts. I also don't understand why this wasn't done a long time ago.

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  sweetgem

  12 years ago

  Yes there is a small office room which can fit about five muscular men in there at the same time, which has been specially created and reserved for the police use at the station (where the incident took place), but none of the two cops used that room to "interview" the woman and kept it a little more private for the little girl. Therefore, partly my reasons for feeling angry and sad to see the little girl got embarrassed. Yes I agree that the little daughter might have seen and/or experienced worse that been looked at, but that doesn't mean that she has to put up with adult's careless inconsiderate behaviour or doing, including her own mother's conduct and problems.- Posted from rhpmobile

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  your heart is in the right place, but the realities aren't always pretty. I work in the disability/mental health industry and have in my time done parenting support. What these kids go through is horrific and often cyclic, it is a very hard to help as you are reliant on people helping themselves when they have little ability to do so. Unless they are in the system it is also hard to keep a check on what and where these kids are, they fall through the cracks until there is enough evidence for government intervention. If they are in the system, there is people like myself doing what they can to help, but drugs and mental health aint pretty and there is never enough support and services to go around. The police would have reported the childs circumstances which gets them one step closer to assistance, this you wouldn't have seen as it is done in their follow up, they have also been known to send out support services that can offer assistance and get them into the system. As for doing it in the open, they are keeping themselves safe, this is standard procedure, never ever do you put yourself in a small room when dealing with someone who has the potential for aggressive behaviour, attempting to move a person away could trigger aggresive behaviour which would be much worse for the child and the surrounding public.

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  If it gets another drug addict off the streets then who cares if they have got a child or not, it will probably do more good for the child anyway as no child needs to have a parent that does drugs and no parent that does drugs does not deserve a child.

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  slm114 and Hellen:     And   Quoting 'holdenf' no parent that does drugs does not deserve a child.

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  If I were one of the two male policemen, I think the last place I would want to go with a female drug addict and her daughter would be somewhere too private and out of sight to avoid the likelihood of a false complaint that I had inappropriately touched either of them. Just an initial thought.I would bet $50 that the Police would love some clear direction about when to search and when not, there is a fair bit of grey in some of the guidelines and indeed the legislation and case law (at least this is my understanding). I guess the bottom line is that searches will happen under all sorts of conditions and in all different places. Possession and supply of many drugs is currently prohibited under legislation and police officers swear as part of their oath to uphold and enforce those laws. Whether those laws should exist in their current form is a different matter with many opinions. Put yourself in the shoes of those two policemen for a second. What information did they have? We're they looking for someone who had committed a more serious crime, for example, were they perhaps searching the bag for a knife used in a more serious offence? Did they have intelligence about this particular woman? We don't know and will never know all of the details, they may have done absolutely the most appropriate thing or perhaps they were a little insensitive, it is difficult to tell. One thing I do know from speaking to quite a few police officers over the years is that they often fervently believe in civil and legal rights, the vast majority of them are trying to do the right thing. And also that if you see a group of people running screaming, it is the police running the other way, towards the problem. sorry, not so brief in the end.

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  You have no idea what information the Coppers have and the circumstances prior to their attending, their primary concern here would have been the welfare/safety of the child. Male Coppers will try to avoid being in private with females unless they have to as it leaves them open to false allegations (she may be known to make false allegations against police) . They might have information that a drug deal was observed or a weapon seen or a member of the public called regarding the welfare of the child and that has to be checked....Junkies will try to hide/destroy the evidence if they can... believe me most Coppers will try to be as discrete as they can in the circumstances as people often fire up due to their embarrassment.... The lady in question may have been incoherent so Police have to search to rule out evidence of diabetic or other medical conditions (the symptoms are often mistaken for drug/alcohol effects). It is tragic for the children but Police have to get as much evidence as possible so a fair assessment can be done by authorities regarding the child's welfare - If you're going to remove a child from their mother you want to make sure you have your facts right... Either way it is gut wrenching for the Child/Parent but if the lady was a Junkie it can often be a massive wake up call to get clean .... if not the Child is probably better off without mum... :/

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  Many years ago, I was asleep, when there was a knock on the door....it would have been about 1am or so. On opening the door, I was confronted by two uniformed officers, asking after my then-wife. Apparently, they had been looking for her for a while in relation to some matters I'll not go into here, calling her, asking her to present herself to be interviewed.Their visit was at that time by design, in order to shake her up a bit...and I don't mind saying it shook me up somewhat too, as I had no idea at the time why they were there.Given that we had a two year old at the time, they were happy enough to leave once receiving assurances from her that she would indeed present the next day.Under the circumstances, I'm very appreciative of the way they handled themselves - they always had the option of arresting her, and taking her away, which would have been beyond the comprehension of our child.

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  Kids don't get to chose their Parents!!!   I have wonderful parents, but I know from experience that aint always the case. Not the kids fault the PARENT(S) are fucked up!!!

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