The boy’s parents positively identified their sons to police on Friday.
Two Philadelphia boys were turned in to the police after their parents saw a video of their sons stealing a 9-year-old girl’s wallet. The boys, whose names will not be released because they are minors, are 13 and 14 years old and were charged with robbery after their parents notified authorities at the Germantown, precinct on Friday. According to the Daily Mail, one mother showed up with “her son in tow,” to the precinct Friday night, and the parents of the other boy called shortly after to say their son was involved as well.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the boys were caught on video watching the young girl make a purchase at the Jaquez Mini Market Friday night. The boys left the shop shortly before the young girl and waited outside for her. When she walked out they grabbed her wallet and ran. The Inquirer reports,
Police sent out a release to news outlets that night asking for help in identifying the robbery suspects. They also released the store video … Both boys’ concerned parents recognized their sons in the video and alerted authorities.
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What do you think?
Would you turn your teenager in to the police if you knew they had committed a crime such as this?
Do you think this will tech the boys a lesson, or just make them more angry and likely to act out again?
I would definitely turn my teen in. Why? Because wrong is wrong and the sooner my kids learn that there are consequences, perhaps they can make better decisions. I admitted a new client to my unit last week. He’s 16 years old, was placed in treatment because he has drug related charges. He was in lock up for a month and came to the facility directly from lock up. This is a 90 day treatment residential treatment program where the kids attend school (on site) daily. It’s a hands off unit and it’s not a locked facility. To quote him… Read more »
Your new client is already psychologically scarred, probably at least partially by a school system that does not recognize his limitations, or care about them. Of course they would rather do 60 days in juvie than 90-120 days in treatment. To most children, let alone ones who almost certainly have severe learning disorders, 60 is less than 90. Period. These are children who will choose a large diet coke over a small milk when they are hungry. That should not be the choice. The choice should be 120 days in treatment or 240 in juvie. That would motivate them at… Read more »
In so far as the schooling at our facility. The clients are tested and placed in classes that meet their needs. We successfully work with their school districts to get these kids back into school when they’re discharged from treatment. Some guys are so far behind in their schooling, we have a program to assist them in obtaining a GED. The older kids, we take to community colleges and have them speak with counselors. Drug treatment for adolescents isn’t at all like adult treatment. The program we provide is all inclusive, even to the extent we have our own recovery… Read more »
Sadly, it is likely that these boys’ lives will be ruined by this act of parental “tough love”. Being black they are much more likely to be convicted of this crime and do time in juvie. Conditions in juvenile jails are horrific and many young men leave them so psychologically scarred they can barely function much less avoid further criminality. This was a moment that these young men could have been steered onto a diffeent path through a carefully orchestrated program of restorative justice and amends. In the hands of police and prosecutors that chance is likely squandered. Two more… Read more »