Experiences with the police are no better than the situations run from. Granted, mine were in Mexico, but just from the many stories generated in fiction sites you can see society is seriously failing kids. The police are more often servants of the well off, and only want the problem to disappear, not solve it.
Yes, I agree, the parents should be held accountable, if you can find them. I don't claim to have the answers, but I know what doesn't work.