Syracuse. N.Y. — A video of an 8-year-old boy being stopped by three Syracuse police officers over some stolen Doritos exploded online last week, sparking criticism of the police by some and debates on how it should have been handled.
Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard interviewed three experts on policing — including a former New York City officer — about the incident captured on the video that went viral and was recorded on officers’ body cameras.
The experts, who reviewed the available video, said overall some things went well, but the encounter April 17 could have gone better. Three officers stopped the 8-year-old and two brothers accused of stealing chips from the Dollar General on Butternut Street.
On the plus side, the experts said it was good that the officers didn’t handcuff the boy, charge him with a crime or take him to some kind of detention. Officers also knew the boy and his family, showing a familiarity with their beat. They drove the boy home and took time to talk to the dad and the boys to try to get the children to behave better.
The police, however, should have responded more calmly, less aggressively to the boy and the bystander filming them, the experts said. An officer didn’t need to dump out the bag of chips or get heated with the man filming them, they said.
The encounter also drives home the need for an alternative response to such a situation and better services to help the family, two of the experts said.
The police bringing the boy back to his father and taking time to talk with them was well done, said Felipe Rodriguez, a former police sergeant with the New York City police department.
“The officer took a lot of time to try and help this kid at the end,” said Rodriguez, now a professor at John Jay College. “He was telling them, ‘enough is enough, you’ve been doing this for too long.’ ”
Lisa Thurau, executive director for Strategies for Youth, a group aiming to improve relations between police and young people, said she is glad the officers didn’t handcuff the boy or charge him.
“I really am thrilled that the officers knew better than to cuff or pepper spray, or arrest the child,” said Thurau, who trains police on interactions with juveniles and how to reduce juvenile arrests.
However, the officers should have paused and taken a moment to calmly explain things to the boy and the man filming the encounter, experts said.
“They could have done a lot better at de-escalating the situation, you know, maybe handling a little bit more softer,” Rodriguez said.
The yelling by the bystander and the police could have caused part of the boy’s crying and sobbing, he said. They all may have made it harder for the boy, he said.
“I think they definitely could’ve handled it in a more professional manner,” he said.
Thurau agrees, saying that the officers needed to pause and explain what was happening both to the man filming them and the boy.
The situation needed to be softer, said Jamein Cunningham, an assistant professor in Cornell University’s school of public policy who studies the economics of crime and discrimination.
“You want a lighter, lighter touch to that, especially that initial interaction with grabbing the kid, pulling him off the bike,” Cunningham said.
Thurau said the incident shows a need to rethink policing, especially since a child under 12 cannot be arrested in New York for such a crime.
“If kids are too young to arrest, there’s a lot of wisdom in using an alternative to law enforcement response,” she said.
In other cities across the country, alternatives are being used, she said.
Cunningham agrees that the interaction shows the need for an alternative to law enforcement response to certain incidents.
“When do we have other services intervene instead of the police?” he said.
Children don’t always understand their actions and sometimes need help navigating issues that they might not understand, he said.
“There (have) been multiple interactions between the kid, the family and the police, and that speaks to a broader issue,” Cunningham said.
The boy may need additional support at home from other services, he said.
If things don’t change this will happen again, he said.
“Until we really try to think differently about public safety and how to provide public safety, we will likely continue to have these uncomfortable and unfortunate interactions,” Cunningham said.
Related articles on Syracuse.com
Syracuse Police released body camera footage of officers stopping an 8-year-old boy over a stolen bag of chips in Syracuse. (Provided by Syracuse Police)
Syracuse mayor weighs in on viral video of police stopping boy, 8, over stolen chips
Videoo of Syracuse police stopping boy over chips ‘heart-wrenching,’ Hochul says
Syracuse police stop a boy, 8, over stolen chips. Sobbing, accusations and a viral video ensue
Staff writer Rylee Kirk covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, photo, question or comment? Reach her at 315-396-5961, on Twitter @kirk_rylee, or rkirk@syracuse.com.
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