Re: title should read: mother of 4 year old didn't return overdue books

Can you send the police to collect a debt when a friend doesn't repay money you loaned?

Yes, under a legally obligated contract you can do many different things to be repaid a debt. Point is that police are a public service, they are obligated to investigate if the overdue books' borrower is even alive after numerous attempts to contact the borrower have failed. However, I personally don't want them coming over - just send me a bill for books with a bill collector threat. F* the police for being librarian B*es, but I'm sure they were thrilled at the assignment to recover lost books.

Just for grins, call and ask them. Maybe that is what the world is coming to, who knows. I mean after all those books are probably pretty valuable, certainly worth more than the cost to the taxpayer of sending police, who could be trying to solve a real crime somewhere, over to ask about those books. And what a great thing to remind those rabble that you don't mess with the government, or else the enforcer class will come calling. People need to be reminded who owns them afterall. /sarc off.

Police are more of a money maker for local gov. 1/2 the time, a public nuisance. Young buck cop pulled me over doing 25-30 MPH in a supposed 20 MPH school zone, no kids in sight on a clear day. Did I mention he was parked a few meters after the school zone was over and I was passing his a**? That's worse than coming over to bug someone over some books IMO - simply don't open the door.

I'll agree that it's getting pretty ridiculous, or outright incogruous of police stepping out of their supposed boundaries of public service.