Officer Shows Up To School Because Of 8-Year-Old's Overdue Books

[Kat Kanning]

Officer Shows Up To School Because Of 8-Year-Old's Overdue Books

kltv.com | October 10 2006

An eight-year-old East Texas boy got a visit from a Mt. Vernon police officer during school hours. The reason: five overdue library books from the Franklin County Library. The boy's father is furious that the school would allow something like this to happen. But the officer who went to the school says he was just doing his job. The boy's father told KLTV 7 News today, the incident has upset his son so much, the child missed school for the fist time since kindergarten.

"I was just silent the whole way," said third-grader Will Patterson. He says he had no clue why he got called up to the principal's office in Mt. Vernon. Once inside, he saw Mt. Vernon Sgt. Blake Gurley. "He had a gun on him. He had his pepper spray. He had his handcuffs. He had everything a policeman would have," said Will.

Sergeant Gurley says every month, the library gives him a list of people who have not returned their books and he tries to contact them. He said the library sent out a notice regarding the overdue books to Will's parents. "The mail was returned back to the library so they were not able to get a hold of the parent so I made a few phone calls and determined the child was the school," said Sgt. Gurley.

Will got the books, Peter's Trucks, Octopuses, Sea Anenomes, Jellyfish and another book, during a school field trip. Will says Sgt. Gurley gave him a list of the books, which were due the first week of July. "He said it's gonna cost me $50," said Will.

"It was just shortly after he told me this story that he started breaking out," said Harold Patterson, Will's father. Will had a rash from head to toe and his neck was so swollen, he had trouble breathing. Harold rushed Will to the hospital, after over-the-counter medication failed to help. According to hospital records, Will suffered this because of "anxiety and emotional distress."

Patterson says the pictures do not show the worst of the condition. "I really feel that Will will carry this the rest of his life," said Harold.

Harold took his son out of the school he'd been attending all his life and placed him in a private school. He said he will use every means possible to make sure this never happens to another child.

KLTV 7 News contacted Mt. Vernon I.S.D. superintendent Rick Flanagan about the incident. He said he's determining whether the school handled the situation according to procedure.

[cathleeninnh]

Gee whiz, did everyone have to over react? I feel sorry for the kid. I spent my childhood feeling like overdue books were the end of the world. Here it seems the trauma was inflicted on him by school, police and parents.   

Cathleen

[CNHT]

Gee whiz, did everyone have to over react? I feel sorry for the kid. I spent my childhood feeling like overdue books were the end of the world. Here it seems the trauma was inflicted on him by school, police and parents.   

Cathleen

Get rid of the library.

[lildog]

Gee whiz, did everyone have to over react?

My thoughts exactly!

I mean come on, the kid ends up in the hospital because a cop spoke to him about over due library books?  The fact they sent a cop in the first place instead of just sending him home with a note.

I don't think there's a single person in this story who came off sounding sane.

[Spencer]

"My name's Bookman, I carry a badge"

It reminds me of the Seinfeld episode in which "Lt. Bookman" found Jerry after 20 + years, and referred to him as a "scofflaw."

Do the majority of Texans have absolutely no sense of humor / sanity?  Texas is the state where the police are empowered to arrest people for traffic violations (remember the lady who got stopped for not wearing a seatbelt and was hauled away to jail at the officer's discretion? -- the Supremes decided that, while the officer was a jerk, it didn't violate any of her federal Constitutional rights).

I would ask whether the officer has any jurisdiction over this type of thing (since it is seemingly civil in nature).  And why are libraries turning over patron records to law enforcement?  Didn't the libraries just fight having to do this?

[toowm]

Calvin & Hobbes say:

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Spencer]

By the way, here's the YouTube of the classic scene between Lt. Bookman (library police) and Jerry -- it's worth a watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwrQdQSXDbg

[Pat K]

People who dog ear book pages should be whipped.
But just being late should not merit the cops showing up.

[error]

After the Patriot Act was passed, I stopped checking out books from the library entirely. I either would just read them IN the library, or go buy them.

[PinoX7]

I think its a 'experience' for the kid, cause its the type of thing that happens all across the country to americans everywhere.

Police and schools messing with people

My sister just told me this yesterday, shes in middle school and a teacher took her I Pod and then a week later she went to get it and they said 'we already gave it back to you'
YEEAHH like i think she would remeber if they gave it back to her, she didnt tell mom or dad, cause they back the school with stuff like that, but i still think its stupid how controling and restrictive the schools are.

[Spencer]

My sister just told me this yesterday, shes in middle school and a teacher took her I Pod and then a week later she went to get it and they said 'we already gave it back to you'
YEEAHH like i think she would remeber if they gave it back to her, she didnt tell mom or dad, cause they back the school with stuff like that, but i still think its stupid how controling and restrictive the schools are.

Most reputable jails will give you a property receipt; I guess our public schools still have some work to do before they'll achieve "reputable jail" status.

[PinoX7]

My sister just told me this yesterday, shes in middle school and a teacher took her I Pod and then a week later she went to get it and they said 'we already gave it back to you'
YEEAHH like i think she would remeber if they gave it back to her, she didnt tell mom or dad, cause they back the school with stuff like that, but i still think its stupid how controling and restrictive the schools are.

Most reputable jails will give you a property receipt; I guess our public schools still have some work to do before they'll achieve "reputable jail" status.

someone should bring that up with those PTA people, I seriously think these teachers are keeping these things.
Possibly giving them to their kids as X-mas presents

[Lloyd Danforth]

My sister just told me this yesterday, shes in middle school and a teacher took her I Pod and then a week later she went to get it and they said 'we already gave it back to you'
YEEAHH like i think she would remeber if they gave it back to her, she didnt tell mom or dad, cause they back the school with stuff like that, but i still think its stupid how controling and restrictive the schools are.

Most reputable jails will give you a property receipt; I guess our public schools still have some work to do before they'll achieve "reputable jail" status.

"You'll get this back at the end of the year", the teacher said slamming the drawer on the confiscated comic book.

"Why,  will it take yuo that long to read it?"

[Recumbent ReCycler]

After the Patriot Act was passed, I stopped checking out books from the library entirely. I either would just read them IN the library, or go buy them.

I'm trying the opposite route.  I'm borrowing only books that are most likely to get my name on some type of list, like old text books about explosives, renewing them, then turning them in a few days late.  I'm not actually using the information I get from them, but you never know when the government might start banning such information.  If I get a visit from an agent because of it, I'm sure I'll be able to make the conversation interesting.

[Kat Kanning]

JP was being followed by the feds because he donated bomb making books to the library.