LOCAL police say it’s not their responsibility to prevent parents from sending their children out in public alone.
Canobolas Local Area Commander David Driver told the Central Western Daily that parents are ultimately responsible for their children’s safety when it comes to allowing them out unaccompanied.
“What parents get their children to do is a matter for the parents,” Superintendent Driver said.
“Common sense really needs to prevail.”
Superintendent Driver’s comments come following reports of metro police cracking down on parents who allow their children to be in public unaccompanied, and threatening to report incidents to the Department of Family and Community Services.
Superintendent Driver said local police would intervene if a child was deemed at risk.
“What constitutes as a risk is judged on a case by case basis,” he said.
“For example, if we have a seven-year-old out at 3am obviously that’s a concern, but if we have a seven-year-old catching a bus in the day then that’s a different thing.”
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