Is this just, or going a little too far?

Yes, I saw this episode and thought that situation was over the top, and so did Dr. Phil. When he asked a lady who was on web cam whether she would take her kid out of the car seat and carry him with her just to put a letter in a mailbox and she said she would, he didn't believe her and I didn't either. The Salvation Army kettle was outside on the street corner. If the woman had gone inside a store the situation might have been a little different. That law enforcement officer had no right to do what he/she did. Like the above poster, pulling her aside and warning her that what she was doing was not exactly safe would be the best way to handle the situation. Why arrest her? Take her away from her children? That was an outrageous situation. I have left my toddler in her car seat while I parked outside a convenience store to mail a letter at the outside mailbox. Some people with authority think they have the right to abuse that authority. In another situation on the show yesterday, a boy was put in foster care while his mother went to jail (for a crime she didn't commit). She was criticized for leaving her 13 year old daughter at home alone. Hello? Last time I checked, a 13yo is old enough to stay home alone. What's worse is that boy was shuffled around the foster system for no reason. He had a father, grandparents and other relatives who could have cared for him. I don't condone leaving a child alone in a car, within reason so to speak. I mean, each situation is different and that woman wasn't very far from her car at all. It all boils down to people in authority abusing that authority. It's against the law to leave pets in cars too and you wouldn't believe how often I see that happen. I know I should make a phone call but it would happen so often I would probably become known as the pet police. But if I saw children alone in a car, I might be quicker to make that phone call... after looking around to see if the parents were anywhere nearby. Heck, I don't want a confrontation with a parent when they are just 30 feet from the car mailing a letter.

I would understand if the officer was just walking by and happened to see the child in the car alone and wondered where the parent was, but if he sat there and saw the entire situation unfold I think that's a little extreme. If he saw the she walked only 30 feet away and obviously knows it's cold outside and the child is still in the warm car, he should have just told her to be careful because people have been leaving kids in the car or something along those lines. I definitely wouldn't have arrested her because I saw the entire situation unfold. I think that's really crazy.

I agree... to far. I go a few feet to put a cart away sometimes and that doesn't mean I'm mistreating my children. Severe over-reaction. The officer caused trama to the child... not the mother.

I just want to say that this is just horrible. How people can be put into a position where it is there job to protect others - and then they do this! The police need to take their time and investigate thoroughly before aresting someone nilly-willy. With the car senario - Would it be all right to stand outside the car and watch the other kids take their money to the salvation army? or would she had been arrested for that? besides taking the two year old out and waking the baby who had just gone to sleep, I mean, that's one thing you don't want! The foster system is a good system, they just need honorable people to run it.