Inner Monologue of a Beat Cop: Did I Fail?

[forensicunit]

Let me preface this by saying that I don't need a bunch of people to pat me on the head and tell me I'm special and awesome. I use this place to vent, so hopefully, in 20 years, I don't suck start my Glock

Comments

[jfargo]

I've been that 14-year-old girl. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

Looking back at an extremely similar situation, I can tell you that she probably had her mind made up before you got there. The happiness was because she thinks she finally figured out a way to make it all stop, that nothing mattered, so smile and be happy until you've done what you're planning.

Hell, the reason you didn't see a hint of what she was planning is because she's too young to actually realize what she's planning, too inexperienced to be scared of it and react to that decision as an adult would.

I'm not holding your hand, patting your head, telling you you're special or awesome. I'm just telling you, honestly and sincerely, that there's nothing else you could have done.

[elena23]

About two years ago now, I arrested a woman for Aggravated Stalking (after some hours of interviews and discovering who was really at fault). I dropped a note the to D.A.'s Office asking them to please make sure to attend any bond hearing, because she was young, pretty, and convincing and would certainly be let out of jail. Sure enough, she had a bond hearing and was granted an SOR (signature bond

[wanusmaximus]

Being a LEO sounds pretty brutal. I'm glad I get to read your blog and see what goes on their lives.

[squire_jons]

I don't think you could have done too much differently.

She didn't mention wanting to hurt herself, and you're a friendly cop, not a clinical psychiatrist. You were firm, but polite and respectful in your conversation with her....she's just doing what crazy, emo 14 year old girls do.

Besides, some scars aside, she's going to be fine, she's alive, and now she'll (hopefully, I don't know how AZ works) get the help she needs with her psych problems.

If she'd talked about wanting to hurt herself, and you ignored it, that would be a different thing, and I could understand feeling bad, but that's not what happened. You went in, gave her good advice on how to behave in an adult world, observed that she seemed comfortable smiling and talking, and made the reasonable assumption that things were probably going to be ok.

[professordeviln]

Bro, you did nothing wrong. You took the time to listen to her and you tried to work on their family problems. I have told many a child and parent that the kids 'lifestyle" did not start overnight.

She was doing the cry for help gig. If she wanted to end it they would have found her in the morning.

I as well tell the under eighteen kids that all they need to do is hold out until that big day and they can go out and find out how rough and tough the real world is.

[snapper521]

*listens to all of that while curled up on the couch hugging my knees*

I know you said you didn't want a pat on the back so I'll try not to do that. However, for the record I think you did everything "by the book". Certainly everything I would have done