911 is for life-threatening emergencies.
Unless you want to invite a SWAT team into your house, you should not call 911 for domestic disputes.
It takes a Village Emergency Response Unit to raise a child.
Domestic disputes are probably one of the top reasons police are called. Cops hate those calls because they never know what they'll find. Domestic disputes can turn deadly. To dismiss domestic disputes as not being important enough to call 911 makes me think you may not have much experience with domestic disputes, which of course is a good thing.
Let's not be too hasty to criticize the mother. Maybe she's just a lousy parent, but maybe not. She says one of the girls has "emotional problems". Again, sometimes such claims are just an excuse for lousy parenting, but they can also describe severe disorders which can make a child uncontrollable. Some very dedicated parents make every effort to keep such children at home with their families, instead of institutionalizing them, and unfortunately in some cases that turns out to be a mistake, and someone else in the family gets seriously injured or killed. Maybe this is a mother who has to deal with something like this, and was really scared her other child was going to be seriously hurt. If so, calling 911 was perfectly appropriate.
Another FReeper (who has a mildly autistic child of her own) has occasionally mentioned the experience of a friend of hers, who felt obligated as a parent to keep her severely autistic son out of an institution. The family took all sorts of security measures, including locking the boy in his room at night when there was no one else awake to supervise him. But as the boy got older/larger/stronger, things got more and more difficult until one day, in a sudden violent outburst, he lashed out a younger sibling, causing a serious head injury and permanent vision damage.
Parents of children with serious mental disorders have a tough road in life, and often have real reason to be in fear for themselves or other family members. They live with a level of constant stress that most of us can't even imagine. Let's give this woman the benefit of the doubt, since we really don't know anything about the severity of her daughter's "emotional problems".
I actually giggled when I read the response.
"Yes, ma'am - I understand your kid may be having a tantrum. Stop feeding her sugar.
If that doesn't work, call us back and we'll come over and shoot her or take her away.
That's what we do here! "
sounds to me like this "mom" is a life long victim.
yes the comment was crass but get a grip lady. you aren't going to feel safe ever again calling 911?
heres a hint IT"S FOR EMERGENCY USE.
she probably is one who goes to the emergency room for a cold.
i am so glad this guy did not lose his job over this (yet)
a scholding and written reprimand is appropriate.
It really is a good question. "Conflict resolution" with police officers involved very often ends in gunfire.