Law Enforcement Persistence

When I was 17 I worked as a soccer referee to earn money in high school. I witnessed child abuse on the field. A coach threw a 12 year-old player against a fence during a game, held him off the ground, and shouted at him. Then repeated it a couple times. I almost stopped the game, but second-guessed myself because there were parents around seeing the same thing, and no one did anything.

I found out that the coach was the player’s father, and decided to talk to a police officer friend of mine. I went to the local police station, told him what I saw and thought, he gave me a phone and number to call CPS. I called them, and a case officer said it wasn’t a big deal, but if I had names, addresses, phone numbers, school attended, and a lot of other info he’d look into it.

I went back and talked to my friend, and he was pissed. He made me call back. I got another officer. She was much more receptive. All I had was the father and players full names, and area the team was from. She asked me if I could get any other info, and I told her I would call her back.

The next day I found out what school they went to and that other players on the team said this was normal. I called the CPS Officer back, and she had already found the coach in the system and that this was an ongoing problem. He was coaching a small boy’s soccer team and abusing his son. I wondered if any of the other parents knew, or cared?

CPS spilled the beans on who called and I ended up having to write a report to the soccer league about what happened. Even got a threat from the coach to sue me through the league. Never heard anything else, but I hope the father got the help he needed and wasn’t a coach anymore.

Help when and where you can.

Stay Safe,

Ben

Defending Children

The 16 year-old mother who left a dead baby at a fire station a couple months ago is being tried as an adult (http://www.ksat.com/news/22188839/detail.html). The teen-age parents left it on the doorstep late at night wrung the bell and left. A fireman looked out the window and didn’t see anything. The baby wasn’t discovered until hours later, dead.

This entire story is sad, but my heart always lies with small children. There was a probation officer involved that found out the baby was being beaten by the father, but nothing was done. No one stepped in to help. The system failed, and will now pick up the pieces, as it always does.

The mother, a long time drug addict, didn’t know what to do. I challenge everyone out there to help when, and where they can. Ask questions if you think neglect or abuse is going on and report it. Be persistent and patient with law enforcement, they are overwhelmed with cases. Your questions or reports could save a child’s life. Imagine if someone would have stepped in for this baby.

If you suspect child abuse or neglect call CPS at 800-252-5400 or www.txabusehotline.org.

Stay Safe,

Ben

Danish Cartoonist Attacked, Again

The Danish Cartoonist who drew a cartoon of the Muslim Profit Mohammed with a bomb for a turban was attacked, again (http://abcnews.go.com/WN/muhammad-cartoonist-fled-panic-room-escape-intruder-ax/story?id=9465442). This time by a Somali man that has ties to different terrorist groups. The Somali man went after the Cartoonist with an axe at his home. The cartoonist ran to his panic room, locked the door, and called police. The police showed up and shot the attacker twice.

Two things of note in this case: 1) The cartoonist had a panic room to go to. 2) Everyone seems to be linked to Al Qaeda.

Good on the cartoonist for doing things right (he’s 74) and no one was hurt but the attacker/terrorist. The police shot the attacker twice while arresting him. He was charged with two counts of attempted murder, one on the cartoonist and one on a police officer.

Why is everyone linked to the terrorist group Al Qaeda? It’s like the 6 degrees of separation theory. Next the news will say local gangs have links to Al Qaeda. Not every terrorist group is linked to Al Qaeda.

Be like the cartoonist in this story. Prepare in advance and have a plan. It will help you stay alive.

Stay Safe,

Ben

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! I'm thinking about resolutions and decided not to do any this year. I'm going to set goals and reach them. Check out my buddy's thoughts, Cadillac Zak. I challenge you to make a goal, write it down, write down the steps to make it happen, and set a date to have it done.

Happy New Year,

Ben