Calling the police to check on a crying baby

And DV increases during the World Cup, there is a reason why the Police run campaigns about it.

I agree! My youngest had CMPA, it was harrowing screams. OPs judgy comments have rubbed lots of people up the wrong way. OP needs to think herself very lucky to have never dealt with this to such an extreme. She also said, lots of doors slamming and raised voices, but how can she be 100% certain that it’s all from 1 house, as she also said everyone has their windows open. If it were me, I would’ve moved a bit closer to listen first before calling the police.

People saying “I’d rather upset 2 parents than there be a baby harmed” but I would hate to upset 2 innocent brand new parents too. I would’ve had more facts in place before picking up the phone over ‘what ifs’ only.

Clearly, the new mothers closer neighbours who would hear more of what was going on wasn’t concerned.

I’m pretty certain that if OP had left out the judgy motherhood bits, she’d have had more people agree, but the fact she has totally mis-judged how brutal allergies and colic can be, people assume she mis-judged this whole thing.

Yes I think you would have been in a far better position to make a reasoned and informed decision of you had done this.

I don't think your personal background here is relevant. If you had investigated and continued to have reasonable grounds for believing a crime was being commited that would have been the time to call the police.

My wider point is not about you OP but our police cannot possibly do a proper job if they are stretched in all directions and seen as the first people to call at the first hint of something unusual.

This absolutely every week or so another abused and killed child hit the headlines.

Maybe because they’d left the windows open as it’s been so hot? Mine have been slamming all week.

You did absolutely the right thing and police advice would be not to approach them if there was a domestic going on. Too many children have died because too many people turned a blind eye, decided it wasn’t their business or didn’t want the hastle. Imagine you had not called and got up this morning to find the poor child or parent had been murdered. It would be a terrible thing to have to live with knowing you could have but chose not to help. Domestic violence rickets in hot weather. Well done for stepping up. It’s irrelevant what the outcome was it was the right thing to do and it is a sad indictment of our society that so many people don’t give a shit about anyone else.

And you’ve disagreed with everyone else who has suggested an alternative to your own viewpoint too … enough said really.

I was about to say this.

If someone had knocked on our door my beating would have got worse because it would have been my fault for screaming, not his fault for beating me.

And all this speculation comes from your OP which is based on your own speculation. You asked a question but you’re not prepared to listen to anyone who disagrees with you. Ok for you to speculate but nobody else?

The common sense thing for you to have done would have been for you or your husband to have gone to investigate and if still concerned knock on the neighbours door.

This would have shown responsibility and judgment. The police have very limited resources and if we want them to focus on actually getting rid of real active criminals we need them not to be glorified social workers.

The problem with so many people is that they are simultaneously childishly fearful of any personal involvement in anything remotely out of the ordinary and hugely over sensitised to the possibility of such things leading to near hysterical over reactions (as per the poster above and the WhatsApp group she referred to).

The OP has stated that she isnt the only neighbour that called, that there was clearly a row going on between the parents outside their house and the baby was being ignored. I too have had a baby with colic so I know what its like.

The OP did the right thing and the call on whether to attend after that was on the police.

All she did was raise her concerns, the police think that they deserve attention.

Why are so many being so defensive about something that is not their issue? If the police didnt think it was worth their time then they wouldnt have attended, but they have (or are doing) and if the family have nothing to hide then they also have nothing to worry about. I would rather live somewhere that my neighbours would notice this kind of stuff, than ignore it.

if you felt uneasy you 100% did the right thing! Ignore the people saying differently, imagine waking up to a front page horror story tomorrow knowing you heard the cry’s and did nothing!

See, I’m a mum of 4, dealt with colic from all of them, my youngest now 20 months, would scream as stiff as a board for 4 hours straight some nights, you absolutely cannot judge whether nobody was trying to settle them, you sound judgy as hell on that part. I walked the floors for hours with my DP trying to settle him. Just because you haven’t experienced it to that level, doesn’t mean the parents are not caring for the baby. Whether or not it was right to call the police, that was your call, the likelihood is all is okay. I live in a quiet area, no one phoned the police on me, in fact, my neighbour gave me a solidarity smile the next morning which I’m extremely grateful for.

Totally agree you have done the right thing OP.

Surely a welfare check could take place? I called the police on a family i was concerned about once (work in children's services) as a child was distressed and parents very angry, and they did a welfare check that evening.
Surely the fact there was a domestic dispute makes it a police matter too?

Have you got what you wanted from this thread OP? Have you got enough praise? Enough pats on the head.

Because when you posted it you’d already spoken to the police so it’s all a bit pointless isn’t it?

By all means he helpfully reminded you how long 100m is, but you then went on to share his opinion. Respectfully, no one gives a shit about what your DH thinks.

There’s a lot of negativity on this post but I do just want to say OP that you were right in reporting this. If there are no concerns once the police have attended then no harm done but if you had ignored this and a child was harmed all these negative posters would be asking why neighbours didn’t report!! I have personal experience with similar and wish the neighbours would have called, the children involved would have been much safer much quicker!