Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
Please know where your children are in their free time and supervise them. Yesterday, two young boys jumped my chain linked fence, ran across my back yard, jumped my fence again into the adjacent neighbor's playground for their small children, jumped that fence, stealing a ball, and I stopped one in my driveway as he was running away. Oddly, Tyler, 10 to be 11 in July, didn't know his home phone number or address. Trespassing on private property is a felony, theft of personal property is also against the law. If either of these children had fallen, broken bones, on my property I'd be liable. If they had knocked me over while I was working in my own back yard, sustaining major medical issues, you as parents would face huge lawsuits.
All of what transpired yesterday was recorded on home security cameras most homes in this neighborhood have. I have 8. This was particularly frightening for my neighbor, a mother of two young children and me, a 75- year-old female. While I understand "boys will be boys," age matters little when it comes to anyone invading your privacy or threatening your security. After talking to Tyler, I kindly sent him home — he said he lived in the neighborhood — but warned him if his behavior continued, I'd call the police and press charges against him. Parents, your children are your responsibility, not mine — know where they are and what they're doing.
Gayle Hansen
Farragut
