should we be thankful they didn't taser him?

[SLM]

Police defend decision to handcuff boy at T.O. day care
30/08/2011 3:26:26 PM
Vanessa Greco


Toronto police are defending their decision to handcuff a child with special needs after he reportedly threw a tantrum at his day care last July.



"Obviously we don't want to handcuff a child, but in this situation it was the best thing to do," Const. Victor Kwong told CTVNews.ca.
Late last July, Toronto police received two separate calls indicating that an "uncontrollable" autistic boy was flipping tables and chairs at Fairbank Memorial Daycare Centre near Dufferin Street and Eglinton Avenue West.

Media reports have identified the child as 9-years old. Toronto Police, however, couldn't immediately verify this.
Kwong said officers arrived at the day care to find that the young boy had barricaded himself in a separate room using tables and chairs. Paint was strewn across the facility, he added.

After deeming the boy a threat to himself and others, Kwong said officers pushed themselves into the room and handcuffed the boy.
"We decided that restraining him was what we were going to do," said Kwong, explaining the decision to control the child with handcuffs rather than physical force.


Police defend decision to handcuff boy at T.O. day care | Sympatico.ca News

 

[Retired_Can_Soldier]

I'm not sure what to say about this. If they physically restrained him there could be all sorts of accusations attached to that. If they let him run the course he could have hurt himself and that would have been bad. What do you do when a kid is posing a threat to others and himself? Should cops carry straight jackets?

 

[SLM]

I wasn't too sure what to think about this myself. Of course, the headline does grab your attention.

But I have to say I ended up with way more questions than conclusions. If this child has special needs why is he/she not in a daycare that is capable of attending to those needs? If the daycare accepted responsibility for this child, should they not be held responsible to provide for those needs with adequately trained staff? Why were the police called in the first place?

I don't know. I sent this to my son to get his impression as he's worked extensively with both special needs kids and adults. His take was, given the description of the outburst in the article, that had the staff been adequately trained, there likely would have been no need to call the police. And honestly, with some of the stories he's told me in the past, some of them quite humourous, it does seem like the daycare centre wasn't adequately prepared.

I'm tending to think the police are the least blameless in this scenario, (sarcastic thread title not withstanding,) they received a call, they responded and probably did the best they could with the tools and means at their disposal given the circumstances.

Why is there even a scenario at a neighbourhood daycare centre that would need to involve the police, let alone end with the police handcuffing a 9 year old. How does it get that out of hand?

 

[CDNBear]

Being a Cop is nowhere near as easy as hindsight.

 

[SLM]

Being anything is no where near as easy as hindsight.

 

[CDNBear]

I have to admit a bias here, my Dad was a Cop, I know Cops, I like Cops in general.

That doesn't mean I blind myself to the reality that there are dirty Cops.

But in so many cases, they get the sh!tty end of the stick, simply because they have to make decisions on the fly.

And civilians in general have no idea how difficult that can be.

What may have seemed like the best course of action when confronted by mentally challenged child, and having to deal with distressed adults involved in the situation. May not be the same decision someone would make in the comfort of their home, office or whatever.

 

[SLM]

I have to admit a bias here, my Dad was a Cop, I know Cops, I like Cops in general.

That doesn't mean I blind myself to the reality that there are dirty Cops.

But in so many cases, they get the sh!tty end of the stick, simply because they have to make decisions on the fly.

And civilians in general have no idea how difficult that can be.

What may have seemed like the best course of action when confronted by mentally challenged child, and having to deal with distressed adults involved in the situation. May not be the same decision someone would make in the comfort of their home, office or whatever.

I like cops in general too. I have a basic rule in my life; anyone who puts on a uniform and basically takes some kind of risk to protect me gets my automatic respect. (Soldier, police officer, fireman-we've been down that road )

Don't take my thread title too seriously, lol.

Really what drew my attention to the story mostly was the child and the how the daycare chose to handle the situation. Like I mentioned, my son works with these kids (many way, way worse situations than the behaviour described in the article), so I have a small understanding about them through him. I have actually learned a lot through him about these kids.

 

[CDNBear]

I like cops in general too. I have a basic rule in my life; anyone who puts on a uniform and basically takes some kind of risk to protect me gets my automatic respect. (Soldier, police officer, fireman-we've been down that road )

Don't take my thread title too seriously, lol.

Really what drew my attention to the story mostly was the child and the how the daycare chose to handle the situation. Like I mentioned, my son works with these kids (many way, way worse situations than the behaviour described in the article), so I have a small understanding about them through him. I have actually learned a lot through him about these kids.

I have a cousin with down syndrome.

She's a happy go lucky girl with a full time job, in of all places, a day care.

But she can and has shown herself to be much stronger than I, physically. I once tried to restrain her, after we told her someone stole her bike.

I just couldn't do it without the possibility of injuring her in the process.

Given her state, the best we could do was just corral her until she calmed down. It took 7 of us.

 

[SLM]

I have a cousin with down syndrome.

She's a happy go lucky girl with a full time job, in of all places, a day care.

But she can and has shown herself to be much stronger than I, physically. I once tried to restrain her, after we told her someone stole her bike.

I just couldn't do it without the possibility of injuring her in the process.

Given her state, the best we could do was just corral her until she calmed down. It took 7 of us.

I can appreciate that absolutely, but at the same time I do think that if someone, obstensibly a professional, is going to provide a service to care for someones child then they need to be adequately trained to do so. Especially if that child is special needs. If they can't, then they shouldn't be taking in that child. I'd be willing to bet the real issue is about staffing and training.

Now, perhaps they did, the article certainly doesn't give a whole hell of a lot of information aside from the police handcufffing this kid. As per usual, right?

All I really know is what I've learned through my son, who has been working with special needs for about 4 years now. He actually started out teaching them Martial Arts of all things and now works for the city in a day program for special needs adults. He's described a lot of wild situations, some pretty funny too. Like the kid who stripped off his swimsuit at a public pool and escaped running through the neighbourhood.

 

[CDNBear]

I can appreciate that absolutely, but at the same time I do think that if someone, obstensibly a professional, is going to provide a service to care for someones child then they need to be adequately trained to do so. Especially if that child is special needs. If they can't, then they shouldn't be taking in that child. I'd be willing to bet the real issue is about staffing and training.

I agree.

Now, perhaps they did, the article certainly doesn't give a whole hell of a lot of information aside from the police handcufffing this kid. As per usual, right?

Yep.

All I really know is what I've learned through my son, who has been working with special needs for about 4 years now. He actually started out teaching them Martial Arts of all things and now works for the city in a day program for special needs adults. He's described a lot of wild situations, some pretty funny too. Like the kid who stripped off his swimsuit at a public pool and escaped running through the neighbourhood.

LOL, I can only imagine. They are a spirited bunch.

 

[SLM]

LOL, I can only imagine. They are a spirited bunch.

Actually the funniest part was that my son's co-worker, trying to "outsmart" the kid, leaped over the chain link fence, and in the process he tore the entire crotch out of his own swim trunks.

So, you have a naked eight or nine year old kid running full speed through a quiet, middle class Ottaw neighbourhood, with a grown man running after him holding his crotch the entire time, followed by my son, who says he held back "just a little" in case someone did call the police, he didn't want to have to try to explain that one.

 

[CDNBear]

Actually the funniest part was that my son's co-worker, trying to "outsmart" the kid, leaped over the chain link fence, and in the process he tore the entire crotch out of his own swim trunks.

So, you have a naked eight or nine year old kid running full speed through a quiet, middle class Ottaw neighbourhood, with a grown man running after him holding his crotch the entire time, followed by my son, who says he held back "just a little" in case someone did call the police, he didn't want to have to try to explain that one.

 

[SLM]

I know, right? Takes spirited to a whole new level, lol.

I don't know if the co-worker was married, but try to imagine that "So how was your day, dear?"

 

[gerryh]

Police defend decision to handcuff boy at T.O. day care
30/08/2011 3:26:26 PM
Vanessa Greco


Toronto police are defending their decision to handcuff a child with special needs after he reportedly threw a tantrum at his day care last July.



"Obviously we don't want to handcuff a child, but in this situation it was the best thing to do," Const. Victor Kwong told CTVNews.ca.
Late last July, Toronto police received two separate calls indicating that an "uncontrollable" autistic boy was flipping tables and chairs at Fairbank Memorial Daycare Centre near Dufferin Street and Eglinton Avenue West.

Media reports have identified the child as 9-years old. Toronto Police, however, couldn't immediately verify this.
Kwong said officers arrived at the day care to find that the young boy had barricaded himself in a separate room using tables and chairs. Paint was strewn across the facility, he added.

After deeming the boy a threat to himself and others, Kwong said officers pushed themselves into the room and handcuffed the boy.
"We decided that restraining him was what we were going to do," said Kwong, explaining the decision to control the child with handcuffs rather than physical force.


Police defend decision to handcuff boy at T.O. day care | Sympatico.ca News

:roll: one for the daycare

:roll: one for the police.


"said Kwong, pointing out that there is no policy against handcuffing a child. "

well, I hope they have a policy against tasering a child, or we will soon see THAT decision defended.

 

[CDNBear]

well, I hope they have a policy against tasering a child, or we will soon see THAT decision defended.

Speaking of...:roll:

Ya, kids are never dangerous.

Shall I post all the stories now?

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

I wasn't too sure what to think about this myself. Of course, the headline does grab your attention.

But I have to say I ended up with way more questions than conclusions. If this child has special needs why is he/she not in a daycare that is capable of attending to those needs? If the daycare accepted responsibility for this child, should they not be held responsible to provide for those needs with adequately trained staff? Why were the police called in the first place?

I don't know. I sent this to my son to get his impression as he's worked extensively with both special needs kids and adults. His take was, given the description of the outburst in the article, that had the staff been adequately trained, there likely would have been no need to call the police. And honestly, with some of the stories he's told me in the past, some of them quite humourous, it does seem like the daycare centre wasn't adequately prepared.

I'm tending to think the police are the least blameless in this scenario, (sarcastic thread title not withstanding,) they received a call, they responded and probably did the best they could with the tools and means at their disposal given the circumstances.

Why is there even a scenario at a neighbourhood daycare centre that would need to involve the police, let alone end with the police handcuffing a 9 year old. How does it get that out of hand?

Very good points.

 

[gerryh]

Speaking of...:roll:

Ya, kids are never dangerous.

Shall I post all the stories now?

Bear, you really wanna go there with me?

My wife has an 8 year old with aspergers in her dayhome.

We have 4 boys and 1 girl with add/adhd.

My wife is adhd

I have a nephew with severe autism that can get very violent.

 

[CDNBear]

Bear, you really wanna go there with me?

My wife has an 8 year old with aspergers in her dayhome.

We have 4 boys and 1 girl with add/adhd.

My wife is adhd

I have a nephew with severe autism that can get very violent.

We had a teen living with us that attacked another kid.

The Crown recently charged a 15 year old, with the murder of a Cop.

Where do we go?

Kids can be violent.

I make no distinction between kids and adults when violence is involved.

If I was ever confronted with a child soldier, with his sights on me. I would put three in him just as fast as I would put them in an adult.

 

[gerryh]

ok... not worth going into....

You're talking about 15 year old teens and this article is about a 9 year old with aspergers.

 

[CDNBear]

ok... not worth going into....

You're talking about 15 year old teens and this article is about a 9 year old with aspergers.

Your point?

A nine year old isn't capable of being dangerous?

Boy Offered Plea Deal in Double Murder, Could Avoid Jail - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com