I'm not sure I agree...would you rather have them sitting at the local donut shop? They should be driving around making sure things are status quo. Being pro-active.
Driving around making sure things are "status quo" doesn't mean you "invite" a little girl and her 2 year-old brother into your squad car to blow the siren. The fact that SoWal is peppered with "cartoon villages" doesn't mean that its police officers should become caricature cops from the 1950's.
The pro-active approach would have been for the cop to go up to the door of the house and gently remind the occupants that it may not be wise to have the young children playing unsupervised on the front lawn.
Another post hit it right on the head...many sad endings begin with a slow "grooming" process of the children to the point where they eventually willing go along with their new "friend."
Liv'smom, you've done the right thing by going with your gut and reporting this incident--give the kids an extra hug, say a silent prayer of thanks, and put it behind you.
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