The charges are the result of a detailed cooperative investigation with Drayton Valley RCMP stemming from an alleged incident which occurred on May 27, 2013.
“Too many people seem to think that a locked vehicle is a safe place for a child to be left," explains Sgt. Elli McEvoy. "The message we need to get out is that it doesn’t matter if it’s a hot, cold, rainy or sunny day. It doesn’t matter if the windows are open a crack, if the air conditioning is running or if the sunroof is open. It doesn’t matter how long you’re going to be in the store for; a vehicle is not a babysitter. Your children are not safe when they are unattended. If it’s not convenient to take your children with you while you do errands, delay the errands. Police take this crime very seriously. Whenever the situation calls for it, we will be laying charges against negligent parents and guardians.”
It’s easy to prevent a tragedy from happening. Parents or guardians can do simple things like using drive-through services, planning outings that fit both the child and the adult’s schedule, and waking a napping child, or postpone an errand rather than leaving a child alone.
“If a member of the public sees a child in a vehicle that is unattended, they are asked to call 911 immediately and are asked not to leave the child alone until help arrives,” McEvoy added. Fear or lack of time should not prevent any member of the public from reporting an unattended child; they may be saving a child’s life.
A 29-year-old female from Drayton Valley has been charged with one count of Child Abandonment under the criminal code.