According to http://kidsandcars.org, since 2000, 568 children across the country have died from heatstroke after being left in a vehicle. As of June 16, 32 fatalities of the same have taken place nationally. Between 2006 and 2010, the majority of non-fatal incidents that were reported nationwide (50 percent), concerned children who had been left alone in a vehicle.Lt. Catherine Buckley, with the Colorado Springs Police Department, said people who see a child alone in a car should use their best judgment in assessing an emergency situation; there is no clear line indicating when someone should intervene. She said concerned onlookers should consider the temperature outside, whether the car is in the shade; and, most importantly, they should determine if the child is in distress.ìIf it is kids in the car alone with no parents around, at a minimum, we want people to report it,î Buckley said. ìWhen the car is in the sun and it is hot, you need to think about calling 911. If the child is in distress, you need to act.îWhat often happens is that people assume they will only be inside a store or business for a minute, Buckley said. Some people think that leaving a child inside a vehicle with the air conditioner on is acceptable, but the CSPD has dealt with instances where a vehicle was stolen with the child inside; or the child crawled into the front seat and put the vehicle into gear, she said.ìOverall, it is just not acceptable to leave your child in the car alone,î Buckley said. ìYou have to plan ahead.îAlso, she said babies and young children especially could be in distress ó even if they are sleeping ó because they cannot regulate their body temperature. It might seem like someone is a nosy busybody if they report an incident that does not turn out to be an emergency, but it is always better to be safe than sorry, Buckley said.Depending on the severity of the situation, a person who has left their child alone in a vehicle can be charged with child neglect or child abuse, she said.ìI understand that there are times where people have forgotten they had a child in the car,î she said. ìIt is a good idea to place your briefcase or purse in the back seat next to the child. Also, place something of the childís in the front seat. We live hectic lifestyles, and sometimes we just need those small reminders.îJacqueline Kirby, public information officer with the El Paso County Sheriffís Office, said another option for an onlooker is to go into the store or business and report the incident to an employee. Provide the person with the color, make and model of the car, and describe the person inside the vehicle, she said.ìI donít think it is appropriate to leave an anonymous note on the vehicle,î Kirby said. ìIf you are going to write it, own it. That is where you run into problems with law enforcement because we have to have facts. It is difficult to know from a note what the intent is, and there would be a tendency to exaggerate the situation.îWhen someone is breaking the law, it is not interfering to call the non-emergency number for the police department or sheriffís office, Kirby said. Depending on the situation, it might be necessary to call 911 to get emergency medical personnel on the scene as quickly as possible, she said. ìEach scenario and each case is going to be different, so you have to err on the side of caution,î Kirby said.Joe Stafford, director of animal law enforcement with the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, said, ìAn animal being in a vehicle in and of itself is not illegal. The question is what is the animal doing? Is it exhibiting signs that would lead you to believe it is in distress? Is it parked in direct sunlight?îA good marker to determine if it is not safe to leave a pet in a vehicle for a short period of time is the temperature. If it is 70 degrees or above, it can be unsafe because the temperature can rise between 20 and 40 degrees inside the vehicle, Stafford said. ìIf it is 85 degrees outside, it can be over 100 degrees inside the car within 10 minutes and 120 degrees in 20 minutes,î he said.If dispatched, the HSPPR responders will determine if the animal is in distress and needs assistance once they reach the scene, Stafford said. If appropriate, they will remove the animal from the vehicle, cool it down; and, if necessary, get the animal to a veterinarian. Additionally, the HSPPR can give a citation for animal cruelty, if the case warrants it, Stafford said.Stafford said that if someone is taking action to remove an animal from a vehicle, he or she should make sure someone else is witnessing the situation or videotaping it. ìYou are dealing with a personal property issue,î he said. ìThere is the possibility that someone could be prosecuted for going into someoneís vehicle and removing their property, namely their pet.îPets, especially dogs, often enjoy car rides, which is the reason people take them on their errands, but it is better to make a special trip with a pet later in the evening, Stafford said. If there is no reason to take a pet when stopping somewhere along the way, leave the pet at home, he said.Colorado Springs Police Department (non-emergency): 719-444-7000El Paso County Sheriffís Office (non-emergency): 719-390-5555Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region: 719-302-8798
