COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Columbus police have opened an internal investigation after officers failed to recognize that a missing 12-year-old girl was a passenger in a car during one of their traffic stops.
Police say that the 12-year-old was reported missing on July 16 and then a passenger in a car during a traffic stop on July 21. She was allowed to leave without the officers realizing that she had been reported missing.
“We recognize the serious nature of this incident and the concerns it raises,” a police spokesperson said. “Every missing person report is treated seriously, and we expect officers to take every step necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of all juveniles involved in any police interaction.”
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Detectives in the Missing Persons Unit learned of the traffic stop and followed leads to locate the adult driver of the car the next day. She and the 12-year-old were found in Columbus’ Hilltop neighborhood, with the 12-year-old being reunited with her parents…