Every time kids would gather to play football or soccer on the common areas, they would call the police even though there were no laws or rules against it.

The kids eventually stopped using the common areas and didn't come back when those neighbors moved away.

I've always thought it was a shame that two old, children-hating, sour pusses were able to stop kids from utilizing otherwise unused green common areas for safe, healthy activities. Good on the cop for not chasing the kids away.

Those kids have rights also, especially if there are no rules against it.

often (I think the number was 110 times, for no justified reason), that the police finally told them that if they called again they would be arrested and charged with something that carried fines and jail time.

They moved to another state a year or so later.

They were just hateful people who hated kids.

My son had fine and gross motor development delay, and I was walking with him on his bike around and round the block one day. He was having a conversation with me when we passed their house. The old witch yelled out the window for us to shut up! I so wanted to yell back at her that if she didn't want to hear the people walking on the road in front of her house she should shut her GD window. I didn't because my son was with me and that wouldn't have been a good example AND I didn't want to go on her vendetta list. She lived too close to our house to risk it.

was a selling point for me. Children show a neighborhood is alive. I moved here 16 years ago and all the kids that were here are grown up but their parents are still here so the grandkids are running around now. Plus, we've had several young families with kids move into the neighborhood. When the weather is good this place is full of kids playing basketball, riding their bikes/skates/skateboards, running around, the young ones like to try and catch my cats and I LOVE it!

they just have to add "he has a gun" so that they actually send someone and remove the unwanted intrusion on their suburban bliss

Happy to recommend this article so it can get the headlines for awhile!

It brings life to a neighborhood.

My neighbor ran something that sounded like a really loud pump for four friggin hours yesterday. My dogs were whining the whole time!

I would have killed for the sound of a bunch of loud kids playing basketball.

... calling the cops on innocent people who are subsequently murdered by over-zealous cops, one can't help but wonder if some evil old bigot was peering out its window hoping to see children get slaughtered. Nothing ever seems to happen to those who call in false reports with malicious intent.

Glad to hear of a cop responding with a hook shot instead of a gunshot.

folks that 'thought they saw a gun'
We never hear what happens to them. Or what should have happened ("false report with malicious intent&quot Arrest them instead of shooting an innocent kid.

If they were screaming at the top of their lungs, then calling the police was appropriate and the police response was misconduct.

If the police actually believes the call was unwarranted, then legal actions should be taken against the people who called the police.

The caller may very well have heard the kids being loud. But the cop cant do anything if he doesnt see/hear the kids being too loud. They werent when he pulled up. One other reason he may have hung around a little bit, to see how rowdy they might be. And If you notice at the very end as he's leaving, he tells them to try not to be too loud, so he IS giving them notice to not make too much noise.
What he did would likely make them hold it down more than pulling up yelling at them like some would

All he has t do is drive by and say "please keep it down, the neighbors are complaining."

"But the cop cant do anything if he doesnt see/hear the kids being too loud."
This is untrue.

In my opinion... What he did is more likely to lead to them to make more noise.

If he had enough time to sit around playing baseball, then the police have idle resources that should be redirected. Fire a cop and pay someone to play baseball (and other things) with the kids. Is paying a cop to play baseball with children a reasonable use of resources?

The police should be more actively engaged with the community. Having mutual respect goes a long way. It also makes it easier for the officer in the future if the people he's talking to actually likes him. I'd rather see officers be seen as parts of the community, rather than outsiders who just come in to enforce the law via arrests and tickets.

And they are supposed to be trained for it. He was spending his time wisely. Obviously had a call come in at that time, he would have left immediately

For absolutely no reason at all. With everything thats been going on with cops lately, what he did was exactly a good use of resources as evidenced by all the good coming from the story being released. Public relations is part of the job of being a cop. How long do you really think he stayed there?
And if he does come back later with a few other cops to play a quick game, good for them too.
Yes, he could have just driven by as you said, but he went above what was called for and I'd bet the community is glad he did.

<sigh>

It reminds me of certain critics of certain politicians, there's nothing they can ever do right.

And I am no cop apologizer. I have made my fair share of criticisms on legitimate police abuses of power.

The fact is we NEED more cops like this and less of the kind that shot Tamir Rice, Mike Brown, Walter Scott. etc etc. The list is too long. I don't care if it costs more money. We would be better off.

He could have went over there and said "hey,we have a noise complaint. Can you guys keep it down a little lower?" Then he played a bit of basketball with them to earn their respect, and now these kids have respect for him and would be far more likely to watch their noise levels. There is also the possibility that the neighbor is just a jerk and the kids were fine.

I like to think it's the former though, because that means everyone came out feeling like the police did what they were supposed to do.

Let the kids play out. Young or old. I'm an old fossil, and think that some folks out there are really scared. I don't understand the this quick fear. I advocate diversity, and my guess is the kids are not like me so something is wrong, I'll call the police. The officer mediated the situation. Kudos.

There is hope after all!

And, of course, his name just happens to be "White!"


rocktivity

Stuff like this happens every day. We just don't hear about it because it's boring, mundane, typical police work.

he addressed the noise complaint with the kids in a very positive way.

She disappears from the frame.

So I doubt it was her.

How fabulous of him do this! When he steps out of the car the kids just go wild. An extraordinary time they'll remember the rest of their lives. And props to Shaq for not only making such a great surprise and thrill for the kids but also being an excellent mentor.

http://www.tmz.com/videos/0_l2il9gj4/

how they deal with those who use excessive force.

Unfortunately, a lot of professions are the same; cover for the bad guy. Unless its someone nobody likes