An unusual call to police around 11 a.m. is raising a bigger question about when law enforcement should—and shouldn’t be brought into family problems.
According to the report, a man contacted police to complain about an “unruly” 15-year-old girl. He told officers he did not have custody of the teen and said her older sister in Columbus was the legal guardian.
His issue?
He was tired of dealing with the teen, who at the time of the call was asleep, and wanted officers to come take custody of her.
Police quickly shut that down.
Officers advised the caller that they could not remove the child unless there was a criminal matter involved. Simply being “unruly,” without a crime, wasn’t enough.
Instead, the caller was advised of his legal options:
- File an unruly complaint through juvenile court, or
- Return the teen to Columbus, where her legal guardian lives
No arrest was made. No crime was reported.
So… Should Police Be the Answer?
Calls like this put officers in a tough position—caught between family conflict and the limits of the law.
Police are trained to respond to crimes and emergencies, not act as substitute parents, babysitters, or mediators when family arrangements fall apart.
Which raises the bigger question many are asking:
👉 Should officers be called in to handle family problems like this—or is the system being used as a shortcut when adults are overwhelmed?
It’s a gray area that keeps popping up on police call logs—and one that doesn’t come with easy answers.
