Is there ANY police Department in North America that would ACTUALLY use a real 8 year old girl as bait for a murderer?

This is a great movie, but I find it hard to believe that any North American police department would allow the use of a small child as bait to catch a murderer. This would never be done, ESPECIALLY without speaking to the child's parent FIRST. However, in The Pledge, Nicholson's partner rounds up the whole SWAT team and they use the little girl like those goats they tie up for tiger bait in India. They don't say anything at all to the mom until they have already called off the plan because they think Jack is full of shit.

Also, interesting note: Nicholson comes up with the idea of using the little girl as bait when he is watching a fishing show on TV and the host says "You gotta use live bait to catch 'em!"