Who is Officer Jennings from The Girl Next Door and what is their importance? The_Girl_Next_Door_(novel) English & Literature Officer Jennings | The Girl Next Door

Officer Jennings represents the failure of social institutions to help save Meg Loughlin. Jennings is a local police officer. On the Fourth of July, following several incidents of abuse, Meg tells Jennings of the situation at the Chandler home. Jennings follows up on the situation, but does so in a way that puts Meg in severe danger. Meg is then transferred to the basement, where her torture increases and her death eventually occurs. Jennings does check on the girls again, but does not probe deeply into the situation, as he should. Jennings is one of the officers who finds Meg dead in the end, and he allows David to kill Ruth, seemingly on "accident", even though he knows Ruth's death was deliberate. Jennings, while not an abuser, is responsible for the death of Meg, in that he did not do his duty to protect a child who came to him for assistance.