Witnessed A Vandalism CLOSE-UP (UPDATE Post# 116)

[DAFox]

Quote:
I absolutely agree with this 100%.
Dale-Ann

 

[ChooksinChoppers]

Yard full o' rocks :

First ...... it was wrong it is was illegal

Second ..... as others have said, perhaps, "you do the crime, you do the time".

However, perhaps there is a "middle of the road" here

What if
1. They were required to repair and replace the mailboxes (a given, no option)
2. They are required to do "community service" (some set number of hours each) AT THE HOMES OF THE PEOPLE WHOSE MAILBOXES WERE DESTROYED. The homeowners choice of jobs. I'm sure there are some jobs that those homeowners would LOVE to have done, free of charge! Grass mowings, weed eating, coop cleaning, etc, etc

Just a thought

I agree with the above.....but not sure that community service can be applied without a judge ordering it. I am so glad you are safe! and when I was reading through I was saying to myself "Don't stand up!" Whew..that was a close one. I bet your hands were shaking making that phone call.

 

[sgtmom52]

I was a Police Officer for 28 years and have dealt with similar situations in the past. IF these boys were really good kids with no past and were willing to replace the mailboxes, apologize publicly and do community service I (as me as a citizen) would not press charges due to the serious charges the officer is suggesting.

However ~ I would think that the officer could instead file summary Disorderly Conduct, vandalism or similar charges instead of the federal law prohibiting vandalism of the mailboxes. If I recall the Postal Inspectors in my area did not care at all about simple vandalism of rural mailboxes and as the Postal Inspectors had to do the actual filing of those charges, they left it up to the local police to file other charges under the State law or City Ordinances.

 

[Ridgerunner]

After thinking about this a bit after my other post, I think I would want to know two more things before I made the decision. How often has this happened in the area? Not just in the small town, but the area. After getting an answer to that, not some run-around, I'd want to know if this was a normal gang inititation act. Smashing windows of parked cars is one initiation act. This sounds like it might be.

In my opinion, those boys have already been formed by their parents. You are not going to miraculously set them on the straight and narrow by your decision. My decision would be based more on whether these boys need another mark on their record to move them further along the process of them eventually going to jail (or in the case of the 14 year old, maybe some other intervention) or if they are just kids out for a prank. Good kids do foolish things, even kids that have been raised right. But some kids need some marks on their records so their lawyer cannot argue "No prior convictions".

 

[andalusn]

How many times in conversations do we as adults reflect back on our own misdeeds and wonder how we ever made it to adult hood? A few posts back it was mentioned how if they are good kids in a bad decision moment this may be the best wake up call for them and let it not escalate to felony charges. Bad kids won't stop and somehow I think mailboxes will be the smallest thing they will have done and get caught for something else. I would like them to meet the victims face to face, apologize and rebuild the boxes to better than before condition. If they would really be pressing felony charges, those have very long range effects... Most job applications ask this question ... "Have you been convicted of a felony?"

 

[CupOJoe42]

First let me say that I am glad you were not hurt!!!

Whatever happens, I hope that there is no revenge or retribution taken out on you or your neighbors from this incident.

I like the repair AND community service idea, tho I don't know how you would enforce it unless you worked something out with their parents.
It would be ideal if they take responsibility for their actions and learn about consequences. As a teacher, I know how believing in a child can make all the difference in the world to them. Not to say they are angels, but to help them realize they are valuable and have potential. (Remember Mr. SoandSo, instead of pressing charges, he made us pay for the damages and taught us...) It would be nice if they can turn their energies into something more positive and constructive, rather than destructive. Boredom or low self esteem in teens often result in making poor choices. Sometimes it's a cry for help or attention. (Not in all cases.)

I know a lot of teens that have joined the Junior Volunteer Fire Departments in our town. They are given training and chores and are able to socialize positively with other teens. Other ideas might be to help build a gazebo, paint a building, clean chicken coops and learn how to care for livestock, etc.

Okay, maybe I'm just a dreamer... but then again.... maybe not.

 

[Nicole01]

Oh my! I'd be so scared. I'm sure it was meant to be. You were at the right place at the right time. Perhaps one of the neighbors pressed charges? I personally think someone should. Tampering with mail is a federal offense. Those boys will likely cause trouble again.

 

[sheila3935]

I know that when my oldest DD was 16 her and a few girls we out joy riding at 4 in the morning they were supposed to be at the one girls house. The only way I found out is the girl's grandma came to my house to ask if the girls were there. This was pre cell phone days. We went looking for them and finally at about 530 found them. they wasnt doing anything as far as we know but driving around but I was mad as a hornet. They scared the girls grandma to death. I made my DD stay awake all day pick weeds mow grass scrub wall anything else I could think of to keep her busy and not let her sleep since she did not let me. The other girls got off scott free. My DD never did anything like that again and never got into any other kind of trouble. Cant say the same for the other 2 girls that got no punishment. A couple of years ago(my DD is now 30) my DD called and we were talking she told me she thought I was the meanest mom in the world when she was a kid, but after seeing how her friends turned out she was glad she had me for a mom. I think those boys should be made to work for everyone that they destroyed their property and I mean hard physical work. If they get off so easy they wont learn a thing. They will do it again or worse if not made to pay for their actions and I dont mean in money form. The parents will be the ones paying for that.

 

[EweSheep]

Sheila, if your daughter said you were the meanest mom in the world, then you have done your job successfully. I know, my daughter say that to me from time to time and it has been effective.

I agree that if there is some kind of papertrail regarding to those boys, make them work community, pay their dues to the damages they did and at a certain age, those red marks against them will be dropped after the age of 21 or in military service.

 

[bt03]

The driver in the truck is saying, "Okay, that's good, get in!" and the other three are saying "No, get that one dude!" and "Aw, we're getting these ones good", etc. FINALLY they are satisfied with their destruction and pull off.

This is the part that worries me the most. I grew up in several small towns and live and work with law enforcement in the last small town we settled in. I see "good kids" let off all the time without punishment. I see cops "talk" and "suggest you sleep on" questions that often times let kids off with easy punishments. Unfortunately that usually isn't the first or the last episode. The kids weren't satisfied with the damage they had already done but continued until there was nothing left to salvage. I can almost guarantee that this was not the first incident especially if they were not satisfied with the damage they had inflicted and I can almost guarantee that it won't be the last time either.

If it were me I'd press charges. It's a matter of taking responsibility for what you have done. I try to tell my 10yo that every action has a reaction and you may not like the consequences but then you shouldn't have done the deed if you weren't willing to face it. Being a first offence it's unlikely that they will get jail time and if they do then they shouldn't have destroyed the mailboxes. I was raised old school and scared to do anything. If it could get me in trouble then I didn't do it. The one time I did something that could get me in trouble I got into BIG trouble and that was the end of that. If I hadn't of gotten into such huge trouble I would have done it again I bet. But because of that one time I am now on the straight and narrow. I work with law enforcement and couldn't have done any of it if I hadn't of gotten into real trouble and learned a real lesson not just a slap on the wrist and a "don't do that again"​