Virginia police officers on leave after handcuffing kids Four police officers in Virginia have been placed on paid leave after they handcuffed a group of kids who were caught shoplifting

PORTSMOUTH, Va. -- Four police officers in Virginia have been placed on paid leave after reports that they handcuffed a group of kids who were caught shoplifting.

The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk says officers with the Portsmouth Police Department were called to a convenience store Tuesday after a report of a group of children shoplifting. Department spokesman Lt. B.K. Hall says a citizen submitted an anonymous complaint about the incident. Police Chief Angela Greene reviewed it and assigned staff to investigate it.

Greene said in a news release that she would take action to ensure that department interactions with the community "are respectful and appropriate under the circumstances."

Hall wouldn't confirm how many children were involved or what happened because of the internal investigation and because juveniles were involved.

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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://pilotonline.com