I'm Pretty Sure This Isn't True....

[Christian Mother]

I am with you tooloud...the door is locked as soon as the last child is dropped off. My littles comes from 6:30 to 8am. The parents are really good about drop offs. But, if a child is 15min late from when there normally supposed to be dropped of...I do the calling. I want to know whats going on bc I am always doing things with the kido's and it's distracting if they come late. I also am gated from the house bc my door is on the side of the house. So the parents ashually have to use there personal key to get in. I leave my door unlocked in the mornings for them to come right in as I am making breakfast or getting my children ready for school but after 8am door gets locked. I've never had anyone ashually comment about it though. I mean it isn't like you didn't unlock it for her. But I think it has to do do with w/her attitude... I'd be upset. Some people ashually have the decency to say they where sorry for being late and explain why. Sorry this happened to you.

[justgettingstarted]

IMHO, that's silly BECAUSE, in a true emergency, they aren't going to hunt for an unlocked door, they're going to bust in through the first one they come to.

Where I live emergency services cannot break into your house even if you call in the emergency unless they can physically see you injured or unconcious on the floor through a window. This may be why some places require you to have a door unlocked...crazy but true! We just went over this in my CPR class.

[Cat Herder]

Where I live emergency services cannot break into your house even if you call in the emergency unless they can physically see you injured or unconscious on the floor through a window. This may be why some places require you to have a door unlocked...crazy but true! We just went over this in my CPR class.

We just have to act with "Due Regard" when faced with a "high level of suspicion"...

Here is an example of typical protocol:

E. Forced Entries
1. Officers responding to 911 silent/disconnect calls or panic/duress
alarms which may require a forced entry will:
a. Attempt to get a response at the location.
b. If no response, request a computer generated history from Dispatch
of runs at the location to determine if other 911 silent/disconnect
calls or panic/duress alarms have occurred at the location.
c. Evaluate the current situation
1) Are there any neighbors who may have a key to the
premises (landlord, etc.)?
2) Have Dispatch check for further information from the alarm
company or monitoring station.
d. If unable to determine the cause of the 911 silent/disconnect call
or panic/duress alarm, request a supervisor respond to the
scene.
1) If an on-scene officer believes an emergency situation
exists, with supervisory approval, a forced entry may be
made prior to the supervisor's arrival.
2. Any other situation requiring a forcible entry will necessitate prior
approval of a supervisor.
F. Supervisor Responsibilities
1. If a forced entry is necessary, the supervisor will:
a. Announce at the door a forced entry will be made if no one
answers.
1) The Fire Department has entry devices and can gain
access to upper floors when a forced entry is necessary.
b. Ensure the entrance is secured before leaving the scene.
c. Process a Forcible Entry Form through channels to the Police Chief
explaining the circumstances of the forced entry. Complete a
Form ***, Report, if any damage was done to property during the forced entry.

[SandeeAR]

My door is locked at ALL times. I have drop off from 7:30-8:30, I lock it between each parent! I live on a VERY busy main street in my town. I lock the screen behind each parent as they come in and sign in/sign out.

[Zoe]

Me too. I'm paranoid about people coming into my house unannounced so it's locked the SECOND each parent leaves.

[wdmmom]

My open door policy is a bit different. I allow parents to come see their child anytime (except for naptime) however, I only do one admission and one departure per day so if a parent comes to check on their child, he/she must take them with them.

And, I keep my front door locked except from 715am - 830am (admission time) and 345pm - 530pm (departure time). I might on occasion keep my front door open during departures and I'll lock the screen door. The rest of the time of the day, the door is locked. I have a garage door that is unlocked and provides an exit and a back door that is kept unlocked as well.

[cheerfuldom]

I don't have any problems currently with parents coming and going willy-nilly. I do keep my door locked after drop offs too.

[Hunni Bee]

Well...we had a hostage situation going on across the street all day. Officers with guns running around...not fun.

We are located in a relatively unsafe area on an extremely busy street...literally crazies from off the street would be able to walk right in if we did not keep the door locked.

After today, we are purchasing an intercom system so we can see who's at the door without opening or even going to it.

Everybody in the neighborhood knows we are a bunch of women with a whole lot of little children to keep safe...prime targets for robbery, a place to barricade up in, etc...I would not feel safe at my job if the doors were unlocked for anyone to enter freely.

[grandmom]

My state law, must remain unlocked. ugh.

[mom2many]

We live in a relatively "safe" neighborhood, but I do not feel okay leaving my doors unlocked, so that anyone could just walk in! I just cannot imagine how anyone would be annoyed showing up and having the door locked for safety issues!

That mom is definitely a crazy one! I think you were so smart terming her on the spot! She most certainly would have caused more issues on who knows what later!

[Meeko]

Well...we had a hostage situation going on across the street all day. Officers with guns running around...not fun.

We are located in a relatively unsafe area on an extremely busy street...literally crazies from off the street would be able to walk right in if we did not keep the door locked.

After today, we are purchasing an intercom system so we can see who's at the door without opening or even going to it.

Everybody in the neighborhood knows we are a bunch of women with a whole lot of little children to keep safe...prime targets for robbery, a place to barricade up in, etc...I would not feel safe at my job if the doors were unlocked for anyone to enter freely.

We had a situation here many years back. We heard someone trying to get into our house one evening...shaking the door handle and yelling. We looked through the window and a guy was running down our driveway and ran into a house just down the street. A few minutes later, the police arrived and brought the guy out in handcuffs. Evidently, he thought his girlfriend was hiding in the neighborhood and he was crazy with rage/drugs. The house he entered had an unlocked door and he ran in and started throwing things around and yelling and got in a fist fight with the owner after hitting his wife. It could have been so much worse.

He had tried OUR door first! We were so close to a nasty encounter with a maniac. I was so glad we have a habit of keeping our doors locked at all times.

You are so right about being vunerable when alone and tending children. Our training instructor told us they have heard about day care providers being targeted and stalked because it's known they are alone in the house with children, which makes them easy targets. Scary thought.

I think it's weird how different states have different rules. We are advised TO lock our doors, were as other states don't allow it.

[Country Kids]

We have to have our doors unlocked at all times. Here is the ironic thing though-our state has had a in home attack and we still have to have them unlocked. About 14 years ago a in home childcare about 2 hours north of mine had a man come into the childcare, attack the provider (I think it was pretty serious, can't remember fully) and take one of the children. The child was older 5 or 6 possibly and the kidnapper came south on the freeway. Our area had a sharpshooter who they set up and he ended up shooting him I believe after the kidnapper flipped the car and wouldn't let her go.

This was a random attack-he had no ties to the childcare at all from what I can remember. Please remember though, we need to keep our doors unlocked.

[CheekyChick]

Well...we had a hostage situation going on across the street all day. Officers with guns running around...not fun.

We are located in a relatively unsafe area on an extremely busy street...literally crazies from off the street would be able to walk right in if we did not keep the door locked.

After today, we are purchasing an intercom system so we can see who's at the door without opening or even going to it.

Everybody in the neighborhood knows we are a bunch of women with a whole lot of little children to keep safe...prime targets for robbery, a place to barricade up in, etc...I would not feel safe at my job if the doors were unlocked for anyone to enter freely.

Bless your heart... It must be so scary to live in that environment. Keep safe.

[CheekyChick]

We have to have our doors unlocked at all times. Here is the ironic thing though-our state has had a in home attack and we still have to have them unlocked. About 14 years ago a in home childcare about 2 hours north of mine had a man come into the childcare, attack the provider (I think it was pretty serious, can't remember fully) and take one of the children. The child was older 5 or 6 possibly and the kidnapper came south on the freeway. Our area had a sharpshooter who they set up and he ended up shooting him I believe after the kidnapper flipped the car and wouldn't let her go.

This was a random attack-he had no ties to the childcare at all from what I can remember. Please remember though, we need to keep our doors unlocked.

Oh my goodness!!! That is SOOOOOOOO scary. I hope the child was okay.

[CheekyChick]

We had a situation here many years back. We heard someone trying to get into our house one evening...shaking the door handle and yelling. We looked through the window and a guy was running down our driveway and ran into a house just down the street. A few minutes later, the police arrived and brought the guy out in handcuffs. Evidently, he thought his girlfriend was hiding in the neighborhood and he was crazy with rage/drugs. The house he entered had an unlocked door and he ran in and started throwing things around and yelling and got in a fist fight with the owner after hitting his wife. It could have been so much worse.

He had tried OUR door first! We were so close to a nasty encounter with a maniac. I was so glad we have a habit of keeping our doors locked at all times.

You are so right about being vunerable when alone and tending children. Our training instructor told us they have heard about day care providers being targeted and stalked because it's known they are alone in the house with children, which makes them easy targets. Scary thought.

I think it's weird how different states have different rules. We are advised TO lock our doors, were as other states don't allow it.

Thank the Lord you had your doors locked!!! That is so scary!!! Reading all of this makes me want to keep ALL of my doors locked.