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Calm boy calls Salt Lake police on burglars

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Curious | 2:58 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

Sounds like the SLCPD Academy neglected to teach their folks on how to handle a felony crime in progress. Guess they adopted the all too common attitude "we'll just gettum another day".

Congrats to Michael. He at least possesses some common sense. Too bad his effort was squandered.

Think people | 5:17 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

So.... the guys are still on the run and you tell them the kid was under the bed? Not smart.

unfinished | 6:10 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

...and they couldn't even catch one of them?? hmm..

Comments continue below

Wow! | 6:12 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

Scary situation for this young man.

Why didn't the police catch even one of the guys or get a license plate number? Now we have two, or more, criminals on the lose that WILL invade another home. Only this time they will cut the phone lines and look under beds. The family might as well have had a dog.

Anonymous | 6:26 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

What a brave child! Way to go.

Will | 6:58 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

WOW...so the Police arrived while the guys were still inside, and they still got away?! How about maybe surrounding the house? I'm sure the police weren't over busy on a weekday afternoon and could have pulled a couple guys out of dennys to cover one of the other doors. Quality police work right there.

What? | 7:03 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

The police new there were burglars in the house, got there to say, "We know you're in there - give up!", and yet the burglars got away?

George | 7:05 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

You are withholding his last name????
You have given his first name, his age, and his picture!!! You have also told the at large burglars and everyone else that when Michael is not sick and back in school the house will be empty. Good Job.

Michael | 7:18 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

There are a lot of adults who are a brave as you.
Good job!

Yep | 7:27 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

And the burglars know the cops are too incompetent to catch them if they try again...

Stupid cops!!! | 7:31 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

How the heck do you not drive after the burglar in the truck!?! Terrible job by the police

Dog | 7:41 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

So we have a courageous kid and incredibly stupid cops. The bad guys got away!!

Keystone Cops | 7:42 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

Brave boy, useless cops! This is why many people arm themselves for protection from burglars--cops can't protect them!

These burglars now know the identity and address of the principal witness against them.

What good are cops who can't catch burglars exiting a house? No guns? No stun guns?

Kevin | 7:48 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

I just knew every comment would be asking why the bad guys got away. Brave kid!

Anonymous | 7:49 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

The Police got there, and it sounds to me like they let the thieves get away? Vey poor police work; That tells me that they do not diserve any raises in their saleries. If that's the way things work; that's worse than the police asking someone, after they are called: "What would you like us to do about it?" (Their favorite question." I will address the City Council about this one.

Who is really to blame? | 7:59 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

We haven't heard the cops side of the story. Is it possible that the newspaper report is missing something? Even cops are innocent until proven stuiped.

J DUB | 8:04 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

Are you kidding me? Precisely how incompetent are these keystone cops that they couldn't apprehend even one of these burglars?? Holy crap! No one thought of surrounding the house or getting officers in place on nearby streets? Wow, I'm stunned.

DR Don | 8:04 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

"How the heck do you not drive after the burglar in the truck!?! Terrible job by the police"
So, the one cop who was there should have left the kid hiding under the bed to chase the burglar in the truck and not even checked the house to make sure no other bad guy was hiding there? THAT would be a good job in your estimation? Good thing you're not in charge!

Anonymous | 8:07 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

Good for you Michael. The police can learn many things from you.

A couple of thoughts | 8:10 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

We are assuming this reporter gave all the details...Probably not. So, it's hard to judge the action of the police here, other than at face value of the story. Having said that, I read an article here telling of how the police responded to lights on in an "abandoned" house. When they investigated, they found it was a marijuana grow house where the flourescent lights were what was seen...So of course they did a stake out to catch the druggies when they came back, right??? WRONG, they pulled up all the marijuana so that when the perps returned, they would realize their operation had been busted. I couldn't believe it. Anyone with a degree in TV police drama would know how to handle this one, but in this case the cops got it wrong. Kinda funny, but not.

Anonymous | 8:12 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. These wicked men will have their day! They steal, they will be stolen from. They kill, they will be killed! If you criticize, you will be criticized. Nothing goes unpunished and nothing goes unrewarded. If you give, you are given to. If you share, you are shared with. And it doesn't come from the same people. If you compliment, you are complimented. If you forgive, you are forgiven. People may think they get away with stuff, but that is never the case. The law that Newton discovered isn't a lie. It's fact and proof there is a God!

stupidcops! | 8:14 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

where is Kojak when we need him? I guess the cops at the local Dennysand donut shops figured a small kid alone in his house with thieves in it wasn't worth leaving their donuts and eggs!
ditto-to former posters '''
brave and smart kid-stupid cops and stupid reporters!

T Baggins | 8:17 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

I get the feeling crimes of this nature are on the rise - probably due to the inability to apprehend the criminals. My parents home was broken in to, and many of the neighbors have been hit as well. Don't keep medication and money where it is easy to find. Bottom line - arm yourself!

Grip me | 8:18 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

Burgulary in process-12 year old at home
Why didn't 4 cop cars respond to this call..
I hope this call gets reviewed by the mayor.

Eagle Mtn | 8:21 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

I think the police did a great job. Knowing you have a young frightened boy in a house during a burglery-in progress, changes everything. Your main concern is for the boys' saftey.

Catching the burglers becomes secondary. No one knows what weapons the burglers may have had.

The police used their heads. Thank you for a job well done!

SLC Native | 8:27 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

So his last name is being withheld for obvious reasons, but the DN feels that it makes sense to show the boy's picture. I'm not a mathematician, but this does not add up.

dmac | 8:28 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

so nobody here has given it the thought that if the cops surround the house they could than have a stand-off on their hands. If that happens you have a possible hostage situation. Is that better? SLCPD did the right thing. Scare the burglars away, catch them if you can but the safety of the child was number one! If no one had been in the house it would have been different situation. Thanks SLCPD for your protection.

College Gal | 8:33 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

What a smart kid. This is the reason parents should talk with their kids about what they would do in situations like this. They already know what to do and aren't as scared. Way to go kid!

What idiots | 8:35 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

The cops knew there was a kid hiding under a bed. You think the cop that got there first should have waited for backup before announcing himself? The boy's safety cam before all else. Maybe some of you should think before typing?

Too Busy Writing Tickets | 8:46 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

How do the Police arrive at a Burglary in process, without enough manpower to make sure there weren't more inside the house, AND catch the ones exiting. They must not have wanted to pull guys from their hiding spots on the side of the road to assist in protecting citizens.

HEY POLICE. YOUR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY IS NOT RAISING REVENUE BY HASSELLING GOOD CITIZENS WHO FORGET TO SIGNAL WHEN CHANGING LANES, IT'S TO PROTECT AND TO SERVE.

When was the last time you saw a cop serving?, and now it looks like they won't even protect. However, they will find time to ticket you for having a malfunctioning tailight.

Little Guy | 8:49 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

You can't blame the cops... If the first guy to get there wants to save a little boy from home invaders, the SMARTEST thing to do is not make them feel trapped, scare them, and come in and save the boy... No shootouts, no starsky and hutch. If you wanted to risk the boy's life, come in guns blazing and light it up. I'm no cop, but it seems to me the priority is life/safety first and I think that risking their escape for the safety of the kid is the right call.

anonymous | 8:51 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

Before everyone rips on the cops, maybe the cop who got there first was worried about the well-being of the kid first. The article said:

"Michael stayed under his bed until an officer came in his room and crouched down and assured him he was OK."

Plus it said the officer initially thought there were 3 suspects and he only saw two run out of the house. Let's give the officer the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he thought that making sure the boy was safe was more important than chasing after the bad guys. They're bound to be caught another day.

Think | 8:51 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

Why is everyone's reaction to this story so predictable to fault the cops in this situation? Their main concern was the 11 year-old under the bed. Therefore they didn't have time to wait for backup to surround the house and it was probably just one officer that was closest to the home on his patrol when the call came in. Of course he let them go to ensure that the boy was safe and that there wasn't anyone else still in the house.

think it thru | 8:52 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

Maybe there was only one cop who arrived. His first goal was to secure the safety of the boy, who was in the same room as a bugler. I'd say the correct priorities for the cops is safety of boy, apprehension of criminal, safety of property.

Just a thought | 9:04 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

Perhaps the police were more concerned with the safety of the child. They did not know if there were still burglars in the house.

Really, really angry ! | 9:06 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

Nice job, Michael. Way too bad that police did/have not apprehend/ed the invaders. Readers, if you happen to have your house invaded, take notes as to how angry you get - you may not realize that you even had that facet to your personality. I hope we all realize that pre-Christmas time is when many of these dregs on society come out of their holes - take precautions; do some of the little things necessary to drown these rats! Again, nice work, Michael!

to Anonymous @ 8:12 | 9:16 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

Sounds to me like you're talking about karma. Not so sure that Newton's law of equal and opposite reactions applies since you're saying what you dish out is the same thing you get back. Maybe you're thinking about "what goes around, comes around." And, hey, proof there is a god? Wow.

Are you on the police force?

Phoebe | 9:18 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

What an amazing kid. Way to go, Michael!

Ema | 9:30 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

People, think a little about this. A young child is hiding alone in a house with intruders. The closest police officer responded and drove straight over to the home. At that point, do you really want that officer waiting for backup before he goes into help the child? NO! I don't know, maybe multiple officers arrived at the same time, and that would make it odd that the thieves got away. But if it was just one officer, his first priority is making sure the kid is safe, not chasing after the thieves. For all he knew, there could have been another man in the house harming the kid!

Red | 9:32 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

Wow! 6:12 am: "Now we have two, or more, criminals on the lose that WILL invade another home. Only this time they will cut the phone lines and look under beds."

Two words: Cell Phone.

bergstro | 9:36 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

Sorry kids, the police did the right thing. Their first priority was to get the guys out of the house with the child in their. If you block off all the exits, then all you do is create a hostage situation. Let them escape. keep the boy safe, and catch them another day.

You people are so stupid.

Red | 9:37 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

I agree with the writers who say we shouldn't be too hard on the cops.

Hostage safety -- even if the baddies didn't know there was a hostage! -- was, and should have been, number one.

Number two: perps running away with no weapon in sight. In most jurisdictions, deadly force wouldn't be justified; cops blazing away at them would be censured or fired (Not even bringing up the danger to bystanders).

CB | 9:43 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

The young man deserved a big dog, with a big bark. Had all the homes in our neighborhood broken into, some with the occupants there (asleep in one case, a big party, another). But our Doberman made sure no one entered our house and we never had to worry about leaving our kids home alone. Maybe if the police had had one they could have caught the crooks as well.

Only ONE officer? | 10:06 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

Do we have only ONE policeman on the beat? This would make more sense if the report said that they dispatched their ONLY officer on duty and he responded.

I carry a gun because cops are too heavy to carry.

Doing their Jobs | 10:48 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

Hey, the cops were doing their jobs. They had to finish writing their traffic violations and parking tickets before they could respond as back-up.

Way to go Michael. You're a hero. Too bad the cops haven't caught the thugs yet. They eventually will.

I'm not a trained police officer | 10:56 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

It seems to me before you announce you are there, take a look around at the scene. Find their truck. Write down the license plate. Maybe flatten the tire.

The safety of the boy was the first priority. It was ok for them to let the robbers run. But taking a few seconds to get some info about the men inside would allow you to catch up to them

Native Utahn | 10:58 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

Michael, what you did was amazing! I'm going to share this story with my boys. You are very brave and kept your wits about you, and I commend you!

ralph | 11:16 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

Here's a thought: The home-invasion suspects know the address of the kid's home, and now, thanks to you, they have a picture of him, too.
So, how does not giving his last name in the caption protect him?
Nimrods.

Anonymous | 11:40 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

And no one's asked why a parent isn't home with a sick child? Bet they don't make that mistake again.

Reporter?? | 11:53 a.m. Dec. 3, 2008

We and the thieves know too much about Michael because of the reporter. It's a great story and a good lesson for children who are under age being left home alone sick?? Parents should not leave sick children home alone. The reporter put the child and the family in even more danger by telling too much. The police did the right thing. They really are trained for these siturations. Who trained the reporter???

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2 photos

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Eleven-year-old Michael, whose last name is being withheld, was home alone Tuesday when burglars entered his house. He hid under his bed and called police.

Gallery (2 photos)