US tip-off teamwork leads police to door of vulnerable child in Nottingham

Police were led to the door of a vulnerable child in Nottingham – thanks to a tip-off all the way from the USA.

Officers in Watertown, Massachusetts, recently responded to a routine call from a member of the public regarding a troubling post on an internet chat forum.

Further investigations revealed that the child may live in the local area, at which point Officer Emily Doss, of the Watertown Police Department, reached out to colleagues at Nottinghamshire Police.

The case was picked up by economic and cybercrime experts at of the force’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit, who were able to track the original post to an address in the city.

Welfare checks were then carried out at the child’s home address to ensure she was safe and well.

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Detective Superintendent Mike Allen, of Nottinghamshire Police, explained: “In our ever more digital world this is a perfect example of how police forces across the world can work together to keep people safe from harm.

“Using our ever-increasing cyber capabilities we were able to act on intelligence gathered on the other side of the Atlantic to check on the welfare of one of our residents. I would like to place on record our thanks to our friends in the USA for acting so swiftly in this case.

“In addition I would like to acknowledge the work of Detective Constable Musson, colleagues in the force control room, and the local response officers who acted so promptly on the information provided.”

Watertown is a small city in the Greater Boston area with a population of just over 31,000 people.

Officer Doss, who has been a police officer in the city for 12 years, said: “We knew this person was somewhere in the Nottingham area but had no idea where so reached out to the local police for help. I am delighted that they were able to identify this person and reach out to them in this way.”

This case comes around a year after Nottinghamshire Police helped to locate a teenager in Nottingham who had been reported missing from the USA.

*Pictures shows Officer Emily Doss and a vehicle from the Watertown P.D.