Vandalism

This just tops my day off with a cherry on top. I got a call from my two closing employees at 5:52 that there were a couple boys on the playground with spray paint. They wanted to know if I wanted them to leave, I told them no, to call the police. So they did. The kids had vandalized our entire playground with spray paint. Obsenities are now all the way down the slide. These were 10 year old boys. Filth. So, we waited over an hour for the police to come and when they did...I was given this option. Make a criminal complaint and set them on the path of "the system" from here on out or go over and talk to them and "make a deal" so they are responsible with cleaning it up. UGH. I hate being a grown up. So, I went inside and called the ex-police chief that also goes to our church. He advised me to make the deal and not press criminal charges. So, the officer and I went over and spoke to the boys. HOW DISRESPECTFUL. If I had spoken to them before I had made this decision, I probably would have pressed charges. So sad. I felt bad for their grandmother. He cursed in front of me. He just didn't care. It was so cold in their house you could see your breath when you talked. So sad to me. I told them that they have to be there at 10 a.m. in the morning and clean up the mess. We'll see if they show up. Tonight, speaking to these 10 year old boys I felt like I was actually looking into the eyes of a 20 something hardened criminal. They didn't care what I had to say. I have a daughter the same age that would be in tears if I spoke to her the way I spoke to them. The officer said that he wished he had not given me the option of pressing charges or making the deal after he spoke to them. He told them that next time he saw them out after 8 or heard anything about them doing this somewhere else that they would be headed to jail. How sad. I really hope that I made the right call. I really do. And that is the end of my eventful day. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.