Despite it not being illegal in Massachusetts, police warn to not leave children alone in a car after incidents

FAIRFIELD, CT/BOSTON, MA — Chief Robert Kalamaras and the Fairfield Police Department would like to remind residents to never leave children in cars unattended.

Leaving children in cars for a prolonged period of time during extreme conditions, including extremely high and low temperatures, can be deadly.

The Fairfield Police Department reminds residents to always check to make sure no one is left inside a vehicle and to never leave children under the age of 12 in cars without supervision, even if it’s just a few minutes.

“The practice of leaving children unattended in cars is extremely dangerous as it could potentially pose a substantial risk to the child’s health and safety,” Chief Kalamaras said. “Regardless of how quickly a guardian may return to the car, children under the age of 12 should never be left alone inside vehicles, especially at night.”

In Massachusetts, there is no law making it illegal to leave children unattended inside of a car, however, the person in their care can face child endangerment or neglect charges.

“Despite the lack of a specific prohibition, authorities still have the discretion to criminally charge caregivers under existing child endangerment laws, such as MGL c.265, § 13L (Reckless endangerment).”

Needless to say, law or not, it is not worth risking a child’s health leaving them unattended in a vehicle no matter the temperature.