what is this world coming too, harassed about overdo library books? really?

It is a bit over the top, I agree.
But when I read your thread title I assumed it was another instance of an actual no-knock, heavily-armed raid like the ones that have been happening all over the US in the past years.

From the article:
"The police could do this because it is a misdemeanor in Massachusetts and the police thought a friendly reminder was better than a court summons."

I think that's a pretty good way to handle it.
Library books are supposed to be available for everyone equally, that's why borrowing books is usually free.
Once someone keeps the books past the due date (and I'm not talking about a few days or maybe a month), they "break" the system. Also, I believe that it is basically stealing from the community, as you take away others' ability to use the library.

I've had detectives knock on my door about overdue movie rentals, and I knew a guy who spent a weekend in jail for 2 overdue movies - Bambi & Return of the Jedi. He was hauled into court Monday morning in arm & leg shackles, then when the judge finally read the charges, he laughed out loud and released the guy with an apology. The guy was never told why he was being arrested but had to spend 3 nights in jail.

This girl is lucky she wasn't thrown into Foster care for her mom's vicious law breaking.

I feel for the 5yr old..but imagine the cop too! I'll bet this guy lives with the stigma being the Library Book Cop brings for years to come. A laughing stock...that is what I'd see him being in the locker room for quite sometime after this stupidity.

Cops really need to just refuse this stupid crap..or perhaps we, as voters, can push laws into place regulating what our city can and cannot do with the city police force we pay for. It's all pointless on a national scale where a vote is a tiny voice among 300 million...but this is why it's ALWAYS worth voting. Everything isn't national and THIS little outrage comes from the men who ordered the cop on the call. That is something we, as voters, CAN do something about...if we care enough to bother.

Why so shocked? The state uses violence and brute force to collect property all the time. Whether it's a little girls overdue library book or a senior citizens property taxes.

It's all for the common good. All hail the state!

"Nobody wanted to, on this end get involved in it, but the library contacted us," said Sergeant Dan Dowd to CBS Boston. "Apparently I was one of the low men on the totem pole."

The police could do this because it is a misdemeanor in Massachusetts and the police thought a friendly reminder was better than a court summons.

Sounds like the Massachusetts law is about to get changed after this article. When the library contacted the authorities on the matter, the police made the right call in this instance. A friendly reminder instead of a summons.

The blame here is on an archaic sounding law and the library for actually going through with this.

You can't take it easy on these hardcore criminals. First it's library books and before you know it she's selling crack during recess while in the first grade. The cop isn't suited for this job though seeing how he didn't tase her while he was there.

you guys make it sound like the cop went in a shook down the kid, the books were probably on a library card with the kids name on it. the cop said "hey deadbeats, these books are overdue, give them back, thanks". It would be safe to assume these werent a day or 2 late, they were probably months overdue. the cop did the right thing imo. I would also assume the library tried several times to contact the parent and after all else fails go one step further.

this should be a lesson to the parents, dont teach your kids to be deadbeats

Originally posted by buster2010
You can't take it easy on these hardcore criminals. First it's library books and before you know it she's selling crack during recess while in the first grade. The cop isn't suited for this job though seeing how he didn't tase her while he was there.

LMAO!!! That really did make me chuckle.

Chuckles need no second line.

Rev

Why is everyone making it sound like the guy tased the girl, arrested the mom, shot their dog and then pooped on their carpet?

"...a police officer stopped by to let her know her five-year-old daughter's books were several months overdue and they needed to be returned or paid for."

He stopped by to let her know they were several months overdue.
No force, no violence, no threats.

I don't even know how much more you could simplify that!

Originally posted by Whipfather
He stopped by to let her know they were several months overdue.
No force, no violence, no threats.

This multiplied by a million.

I worked in a video store once, and the number of persons that would just not return tapes simply because they knew the store couldn't do much about it was difficult to imagine.

I think activities like this are much more useful than warning people in the city for jaywalking or setting up speed cameras which people just avoid when they wanted to be reckless.

I didn't see it mentioned, but the library was after the Dad's $100 fine, the kid was just a freebie. Besides, Charlton has a population of about 14,000. The policeman was probably the assistant librarian.