Cops say smash a window if you see child, animal in distress

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ABBOTSFORD (NEWS1130) – It’s a scenario that’s already become far too common this summer.  So, what should you do if you spot a child or a pet in obvious distress after being left inside a steaming hot car?  Local police are giving some advice following a pair of tragedies over the past two weeks in Ontario and Alberta.

Sometimes the only option is to smash the vehicle’s window but a lot of people worry about the legal consequences.

Abbotsford Police Constable Ian MacDonald doesn’t want to see a rash of smashed windows but there are times when it is the right thing to do.  “And you’re going to be the best guide of that and you’re the one at the end of the day who is going to be able to explain and articulate why you did and I think at the end of the day if it’s to preserve life there will be few that would find fault with it.”

The Vancouver Police Department is being more direct saying, ‘Yes!  Definitely smash the window,’ if you see that a pet or child is in distress or worse, unconscious.  If you’re not sure if a child or animal in a car is in immediate danger you can always call 911.

Meantime, police in Milton, Ontario have charged a grandmother in connection to the death of a two-year-old boy who was left in a sweltering car last week.  No criminal charges will be laid in the case in Alberta.

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