A policeman in the supermarket ,would you do this?

[girlfriend44]

This morning there was a policeman doing some shopping in the supermarket.

A family walked past and when the dad noticed the policeman in the aisle he said to his little girl.
Look there's a policeman. If your naughty round the supermarket he will take you away to prison. The little girl. Just listened and didn't say anything .
He made sure she saw the policeman and as said told her he would take her to prison if she was naughty.
The policeman never heard but I did . I was right by them
Would you do this?
AIBU to think it's a bit odd.

He might have been on duty, he might have been called to the shop, I don't know. I think it's reassuring seeing police around as you don't often see them today.

He was probably buying a meal deal.

No idea. But I think it's madness to suggest he shouldn't be in his uniform. It's a shame we don't see more police in supermarkets , might act as a deterrent to thieving.

You do realise this is 2026 not 1946.

My local Police station is next to a supermarket and we often see police officers in there shopping for lunch, drinks etc. When my children were young I liked that they saw that police officers were approachable and ‘normal’ people.

The police hate this. Its actually dangerous. They come into primary schools for exactly this reason, so that kids aren't scared of them and know to go to them for help etc.

Agree. My dad was a police officer. When he had to “lift” drunk people, he would put them in the back of his police car and then drop them off at their parents house. Steaming. He said that there was no way any night in the cells was worse than the reception they got from their parents 🤣

Sadly it's not an uncommon parenting tactic but I personally think it's a pretty poor one. For one it's lying to your kid, secondly it's teaching them to fear the police which means they will be less likely to ask them for help if they get lost or in trouble. Another similar one is "Brush your teeth or the dentist will pull your teeth out" and then the parents act surprised when their child won't cooperate for check ups or preventative work.

Parents often used to say this sort of thing

I wouldn't unless they was doing something that is illegal that they would actually get in trouble for when they reach the age of criminal responsibility (Being violent, stealing etc) but I'd only tell them that if they was old enough to understand. I'd never say it for general messing about/being naughty, that's just wrong, a mum up my daughters old school did that with her 3 year-old, he told her no they bloody wouldn't and to not tell him that. I want my children to respect the law, understand what behaviours would get them in trouble with the law but I also want them to not be scared of the police.

I agree OP its an odd parenting tactic these days but definitely one parents of previous generations took regularly. Comedians do skits on this: Peter Kay, Jason Manford etc
im more bothered as to why a presumably on duty Police officer if they were recognisable as so was doing their weekly shop during work hours/on shift - yes i know they are human and have to eat but they should do this in their own time like the rest of us mere mortals when tax payers are effectively paying them to peruse the yellow sticker bargains

It's not uncommon, but it's shit parenting.
When I worked on a till you'd get ineffective parents saying 'the lady will tell you off' for whatever, I'd just look the kid in the eye and tell them I wouldn't.

I expect you get a lunch break don't you. I should think a police officer has to get something between call outs. They can't just clock off at 12

Again nobody knows how her behaviour is generally she could be a nightmare maybe he just wanted to scare her who knows but it’s not a crime is it. I’m sure she wouldn’t know what a jail is either.

Seriously you don’t think they should be allowed to buy lunch or dinner? Wow this is mental of course they should be allowed to go the shop I’ve seen ambulance staff and police in my local Tesco. It’s not like they get a set lunch time and know they’re back at the station to get there food or a drink.

Careful what you say to the kids, My ex was saying about cops doing good got cars, those not very good got a pushbike and totally rubbish ones had to walk. and then one was going into the shop one day and left his bike, my daughter said (too loudly) "mummy did dat policeman not catch many cwiminals so he only got a bike? lol

Lazy parenting. Threats, also vague language - kids don’t know how to not be naughty, they need to be told specific situations eg “don’t hit your brother”. As others mentioned we shouldn’t be raising children to be fearing police. Just awful

This. Lots of people don't want to be the bad guy so outsource the consequences/ fear of them to teachers, police, Father Christmas. It undermines their own authority and makes them scared of the police rather than this is who you go to when you need help.

I think my parents, grandparents and in-laws have said this countless times. It's quite a common saying in the north east.

Of course it’s odd, you want your children to know that the police are there to help them, not be people that they are afraid of approaching. This shit way off parenting where people say that others are responsible for applying consequences for their children’s behaviour is absolutely batshit.

It's not a good thing to say and isn't great parenting but it isn't odd.

It's just another variation of in a shop or cafe and a kid is being naughty and the parent says 'stop or the lady will tell you off' pointing to the staff.

My dad was a police man - he would immediately speak up if he heard parents say this to their kids (and it happened often!) “who is your child going to speak to when they need help or are in trouble?, not the police man because he’s going to arrest them and put them in prison”. People don’t think through what they say to kids

I’m 50 and this is the sort of thing we would be told as kids if we were playing up just to get us to stop. I was actually told this and the policeman joined in and said I needed to behave myself otherwise he would take me to prison. I promptly behaved myself! I didn’t know people still did this as I imagine it’s a pretty old fashioned style of parenting now bur maybe the kid had been a nightmare just before you saw them and this was their way of bringing her inline? It honestly never stopped me seeking help from police if I ever needed it, it just taught me that if I didn’t behave and was being a brat there were consequences 🤷🏻‍♀️

Our local police used to come into the Sainsbury's café for breakfast. They need to eat too. I don't begrudge them a full English before their next call-out.

I work in McDonald's and always say "No, I won't."

“Astounded”??! Really?!! 😂😂 Come on