Toddler in video posted by Omaha police union taken into protective custody

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

By Emerson Clarridge

A toddler shown in a controversial video shared by the Omaha police union has been placed in protective custody along with three other children in the household, police said Wednesday.

Police said they removed the boy and the other children because they were concerned about the youths' well-being and safety.

Police did not release their names or relationship to each other.

Police said the City Prosecutor's Office has determined no crime occurred in the video, which shows adults, who are off-camera, exchanging profanities and sexual comments with the toddler.

FULL story at link.



Read more: http://www.omaha.com/article/20140108/NEWS/140108947/1685#toddler-in-video-posted-by-omaha-police-union-taken-into-protective-custody

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Original LBN story here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014691311

First story here: Video: Adults exchange profanities with diaper-clad boy: http://www.omaha.com/article/20140106/NEWS/140109286/1694#video-adults-exchange-profanities-with-diaper-clad-boy

[blackspade]

1. So, if no crime was committed....

Why did the cops remove the kids?
To save face after crassly posting this video.
They are retaliating against folks that have no recourse because they can't get at their critics.

[sybylla]

2. Police are mandatory reporters and CPS doesn't need to see any law broken to remove children

Pending an investigation, of course.

OTOH, I doubt there will be little more CPS can do but investigate and keep an eye on the kids until there is a preponderance of danger or a law is broken.

It's a start. This little boy and the others in the household are better off with someone paying attention.

[Hestia]

4. So parents aren't allowed to cuss in front of kids? I will tell a tale on myself

I guess the boys were around 10-12 years old. They were goofing around, wrestling and jumping around on a bed and knocked a big hole in the wall. I admit I started yelling and cussing, and the boys said that I shouldn't cuss in front of little children. Of course, I felt contrite, apologized and made them do yard work and car washing and other bigger chores that weren't part of their normal chores for two weeks. We were living in a rental at the time and the landlord was very snoopy and ragged on the least little thing, so I definitely didn't want to have to explain spackleing, plus I had just worked overtime. But anyway, parents do cuss in front of kids.

[LiberalLovinLug]

5. I think there is a big difference

between some kids already 10-12, doing something they shouldn't, and an adult losing it for a moment...and adults goading a toddler to purposely swear and be obscene and violent. Of course any child that age will try and please the caregiver adult. I can only imagine what this boy will be like in his mid teens, if there are no charges and he is returned. The parents are essentially prepping him for a life of gang-banging which will either end in an early death or a lifetime in prison, not to mention all the victims that young man will abuse because of this "education" before that happens.

[XemaSab]

14. "You a b****, n*****. F*** you."

[rollin74]

3. good

no child belongs in that type of environment

[alp227]

6. But what happened to DUE PROCESS?

You can't just have kids taken away from their parents just because you disagree with their parents' morals. Objectively abusive conduct is one thing but disagreeable conduct another.

(Edit) Add this take of the case by Davey D:

Now don't get me wrong ideally parents should be using better judgement with regards to what they expose their kids to... sadly in 2013 we have Honey Boo Boo being celebrated as a cute but 'spirited' 'rambunctious' little girl and TV and radio that use profanity and show sexually charged images during family hour, its easy to see how some parents would see nothing wrong with their kids cursing and in this case, actually think its cute..

At the same time, one might ask, since when have the police been concerned about profanity around kids that they take away the kids? Are these the same police who often use profanity around ordinary citizens who done nothing or little wrong, not to mention they consult and greenlight many cop shows that depict members of their profession in unsavory manners

[Blue_Tires]

7. Any reprimand for the police after such a crass and stereotypical public use of the video?

[Omaha Steve]

9. Restricts his ability to take disciplinary action against union members for posting the video

http://www.omaha.com/article/20140107/NEWS/140109174/1685#police-chief-disagrees-with-union-s-posting-of-thuggery-video-but-disciplinary-action-unlikely

In his statement, (chief) Schmaderer noted that a Nebraska Supreme Court ruling on “union speech'' restricts his ability to take disciplinary action against union members for posting the video.

[Blue_Tires]

10. Is the union itself powerless to do anything?

[AngryAmish]

8. I saw a worse video about a month back on world star

[Brickbat]

11. Here's a later story with more details on the home environment:

The 2-year-old Omaha boy who unwittingly prompted a debate about the culture of gang violence was wounded three months ago in a shooting inside his own home.

His 17-year-old father, D'Marco Pope, was killed last spring in what police said appeared to be a gang-related shooting.

His grandmother was arrested last month after five guns were found in the house. She now sits in jail facing a weapons charge.

His grandfather was sent to prison last year, convicted of a weapons charge.

The little boy who was coaxed by adults to utter profanities for an online video has grown up in a chaotic and troubling home environment, according to Douglas County court records.

Authorities removed the boy from the home this week, along with his 17-year-old mother and two other children.

The children were placed in protective custody because relatives continually allowed known gang members into the house, according to court records. A caseworker said in a petition that adults did not provide a safe environment for the children.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20140109/NEWS/140108837/1685#toddler-in-profanity-laced-video-was-hurt-in-shooting-3-months-ago-in-his-home

[840high]

12. Horrifying.

[rebecca_herman]

13. Awful

Hope the mother can receive whatever help she needs to be a decent parent so that doesn't continue into another generation.

[Throd]

15. The poor kid probably won't make it to 20.