Talking to the Police

You may be approached by the police for a variety of reasons. Solving a crime requires the gathering of evidence and statements from witnesses. Most people are happy to help out, but if you are concerned about your potential involvement, it pays to keep a few things in mind.

Firstly, it is wise never to treat any discussion as “off-the-record”. In any event, if your involvement is important, you might be later required to give evidence in court and could be heavily questioned if your answers are inconsistent.

Second, a person who creates a reasonable suspicion in the officer's mind of having committed certain offences could entitle the officer to search that person or the premises they are occupying. Should this occur, it is important to remain calm and note the time, date and identities of the police officers in attendance. You should also contact a lawyer (or a close friend or relative who can contact a lawyer to act on your behalf). Bear in mind that in some cases, a police officer does not need to physically appear before the court to obtain a warrant for a search, as this may, for example, be obtained by telephone.

On a more practical level, if you the police ask for your name or residential address, there is probably little use in withholding this information. In some instances it may actually be an offence not to disclose it.

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