To ask if the police can track an Instagram account from a username **Content warning** Title edited by MNHQ

[User1000005]

And read everything on it?

What are you concerned about the police doing? Is her account set to private?

If she is posting about committing suicide, I would say the follower in question did exactly the right thing, tbh.

I hope your DD gets the help she clearly needs

Has she been involved in something criminal? I wouldn't have thought the police would be getting involved otherwise would they?

@FlyingBurrito

Has she been involved in something criminal? I wouldn't have thought the police would be getting involved otherwise would they?

They can do welfare checks if asked, and if they believe someone is in immediate danger.

They may contact you.
I'd a similar situation with DD and an online pal who was threatening to kill herself, DD was trying to prevent the suicide for days before she came with it.
The girl in question had given some personal details school and first name.
The gardai took all the information including chat logs not sure what the outcome was but we couldn't do nothing.
DD had left the site.
I'd be more concerned about her feelings than the police. How is she now? The police will only be concerned if they're involved.

Of course the police can get such information. I'm guessing they have certain powers if they believe someone is in danger and can get warrants if criminal.

Basically, as long as the request is made lawfully and correctly, it allows Facebook/Instagram/whoever to release information and circumvent data protection.

The police are more likely to refer this to the ambulance service if they thought someone was in immediate need

There’s no point referring to ambulance first, they can’t dispatch without an address.

The police can and do read open instagram accounts to try and locate a person if they think that person is at risk. Which in this case your daughter is.

They cannot read private accounts. If they believe the person to be at genuine risk of harm they will ask IG or whoever for subscriber details. This does not give access to the account, but details like IP address and phone numbers/names.

If you do not want the police involved the best thing to do is phone them yourselves and say what has happened re. Instagram. Once they have your details they can safeguard, refer to mental health etc, and no need to further investigate social media etc.

They wouldn't look through her phone They could do a welfare check.
IP address would give the home address.
Tell her not too worry about it there is more important issues.
Follower was probably scared - if she was suggesting any group involvement it may be different.
Have you checked what she has said? I'd be suspicious 🤔
My advice read her stuff.

I would seriously monitor that account. They are bloody awash with teenagers posting photos of self harm, pills, them running away from home, psych wards etc. It’s massively enabling. I wouldn’t be allowing my teen on one. How old is she?

She’s an adult not a child so unfortunately I can’t really monitor her account. I
Did use to check her social media till she was an adult.

@User1000005 I didn't realise she is an adult. Awh OP it is a lot for you to deal with. I hope you're okay.
Has she calmed down? Like I said unless she was encouraging others to commit suicide I'd imagine there'll be no issue she is entitled to share her feelings as sad as they are.
These groups are a nightmare.

Ha. Don’t worry op. The police won’t come out to attend a mental health crisis unless (in the words of the last ambulance crew we saw before my suicidal brother was taken to hospital with police escort on the order of the GP) someone is ‘running around the streets with a machete’. It took a doctors order for them to come out and even then they were very shitty about it. The most they will do is pass the info onto a mental health team. I’d be amazed if anything further was done.

But I hope your dd can find the right support if she’s feeling suicidal. Our experience of our local nhs mental health team has been that they are lifesavers.

Ha. Don’t worry op. The police won’t come out to attend a mental health crisis unless (in the words of the last ambulance crew we saw before my suicidal brother was taken to hospital with police escort on the order of the GP) someone is ‘running around the streets with a machete’. It took a doctors order for them to come out and even then they were very shitty about it

The police aren’t health service staff though. It is ambulance and mental health medical professional’s job to attend and assess and decide what to do.

They only get involved if there is a physical threat that would need force or restraint.

The police are currently overwhelmed with MH jobs as ambulances are often “too busy” to attend so it gets dumped on the police.

In the o/p’s case the police will get involves as it is their job to locate the person at risk. Once found, it’s passed on to NHS service. Because Police aren’t MH experts.

OP. I do this type of thing for a living therefore I have name changed. I'm also being a bit vague.

The most the police will do is look at anything the reporting person can see. This is by the reporting person showing them any messages. If they deem it an immediate threat to life they can trace the Insta account so you may get a knock at the door.

Police will not gain access to all her messages other than that the reporting person has access to or shows them.

The police aren’t health service staff though. It is ambulance and mental health medical professional’s job to attend and assess and decide what to do.

I realise that. Sorry should have been clearer. In the cases where the unwell person doesn’t want medical treatment then the police will not attend, unless ordered to by a doctor (2 sets of ambulance crew reiterated that the police are almost certain not to attend if they ask unless the person is violent). The ambulance crew can decide that someone doesn’t have capacity, but they can’t take them to hospital or anything if they are unwilling to sit/lie down in an ambulance. That is the police’s job and only the police can assist with that. I highly doubt they would actively track down data from an Instagram account of someone threatening suicide.

I highly doubt they would actively track down data from an Instagram account of someone threatening suicide

They do. Or at least try to.