advice for what we should do if the police visit?

There is a massive amount of misinformation on this thread. The police absolutely do not need a warrant in England to enter an address to arrest someone. They just need reasonable grounds to believe the person they are looking for is at the address at the time they attend. They can then use force to enter. If they suspect you are guilty of an offence they can either deal with you by voluntary interview, or arrest you.

To arrest you they have to have a reason why the arrest is necessary, and it can't be dealt with voluntarily. If you are asked to come in voluntarily, and you refuse, they can then arrest you if the arrest would then be necessary to progress the investigation. Whichever way you are dealt with, you are entitled to a solicitor, and at that point it is free. You can either name a solicitor if you know who you want, or request a duty solicitor.

If you are arrested you are also entitled to have someone told you have been arrested, and to read the codes of practice, which cover the law about how you should be treated while you are in custody. You should be provided with any basic hygiene products you need, as well as fed.

You’re not obliged to speak to them, or let them into your house (unless they arrive with a warrant). They will tell you if they’re arresting you and will have to read you your rights when they do (that’s how you’ll know you’ve been arrested).

You’re under no obligation to attend the police station unless they arrest you, or if you have to return on a given date under bail conditions relating to a previous arrest.

The police are not your friends. Anything you say can be twisted to infer guilt. You’re not even obliged to say “no comment” in interviews - it’s better to say nothing at all. Just look gormless and ask if you’re free to leave now.

Also tuck a red pen in your bag. I got this from a programme about Christopher Jefferies (Joanna Yeates' landlord) who was an English teacher and took care to correct every spelling and grammar error in the police statement he was required to sign.

I really won't feel I've had my money's worth if I don't get the opportunity to do that.

It concerns me that I have never read a thread before that is filled with so many half-truths and frankly just made up stuff. I appreciate that people are trying to be helpful but some of the advice only applies in the USA so assume you’ve just seen it on the telly?!

If you’re actually concerned about this then I strongly suggest that you post on a website forum dedicated to criminal law and procedure. Or speak to a solicitor now if you’re that worried and can afford it.

As a general rule though, if you’re under arrest then you will know! And you will get a duty solicitor provided (unless you want your own). Always give a no comment interview, you’re not under any obligation to say anything in fact.

If you’re not under arrest then I wouldn’t even confirm who I was, let alone let them in. I’d confirm that they weren’t there to inform me that a LO had died or similar. Then just close the door. There’s no law that you have speak to them - they’re relying on your implicit consent.

Can I advise everyone to check their household insurance policy and if you don't have legal cover (which is usually an added extra) to add it on which shouldn't cost much more.
I had reason to check mine out recently for an unrelated reason, they have a 24/7 helpline which gave me a little handhold late on a Saturday night and the next week a smart paralegal sorted everything brilliantly in a day.
On the back of that I gave this same advice to another poster here who was threatened with an HR "meeting" for asking questions. They didn't expect her to come back with a decent lawyer and quickly backed down. She had been given excellent advice along the way.

This is what the Met do to women who hand out cards to people so heaven only knows what they'd do to women with stickers or ribbons.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10436053/Met-Police-apologise-philosophy-lecturer-ridiculed-strip-search.html

Useful info about your rights can be found here:

knowmyrights.org.uk/

www.gov.uk/browse/justice/rights

I am still intrigued how it would work in practise with a fully wheelchair dependant person though. Literally tip them out on the floor and leave them there?

Thanks, I had a feeling that was the answer 😡

Btw, always remember that silence is used on purpose so that you feel awkward and fill it.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-59131036

I can’t imagine why we wouldn’t trust the police????

All care requirements are ignored until a medical emergency occurs, then the police hand responsibility over to the NHS.

2: either you get searched by an officer who is saying they are the same whatever pronoun you choose, or you get searched by a male and a female officer at once.

The police are not into making things easy for anyone, all contact with them in terms of arrests should be assumed to be 100% hostile.

The police use the lack of sanitary products to punish women they arrest.

Men are often denied toilet paper too, but for women it is much worse.

I thought we weren't allowed to make generalisations about an entire group of people? Blueberry seems to get away with it, including an accusation of fraud and dishonesty against gender critical women, in general.

I'm not usually keen on reporting, but should Mumsnet really let such an accusation stay, especially as it's not too hard to work out who in particular it's directed at

In the UK.

Answer the door, ask what's it about, let them tell you, you've been naughty. Say nothing, respond with "what is your next action"

They may say NFA just a word and leave, thank them for their visit.

If they say a caution, decline the caution if you wish, be arrested and go to custody for processing. You will be given a on duty solicitor for interview. No comment through interview, be released on bail pending further investigation. Await news from the CPS on of you are being charged or NFA'd.

If charged meet with legal team, go to court and enter a not guilty plea to magistrates, then await a trial date at magistrates and argue your innoccence.

I mean first is probably the most they will do "come for a chat" just ignore them nod, and when they are finished "lecturing you" they leave in my experience. Just gets logged on the Police National Database but it's not a conviction or caution.

[quote vivariumvivariumsvivaria]@KittenKong I had a occasion to give a Paddington bear extra hard stare to a passing police officer after a near miss accident.

Could't believe the officious eejit wanted to tell me off instead of letting me deal with my unharmed but frightened child.

Told him so, too. He told me "attitude".

I asked if that was a crime and whether this was best use of police time and turned my back on him because having a massive great bloke lowering over us was not helpful for my sobbing kid.

Had forgotten about that until you said "attitude".[/quote]
As my companion said ‘they aren’t gods. They are just blokes who could have got a job as a clerk in an office but decided they wanted a shiny badly and power. Most don’t join us to save the world’.

To be honest - when ds was mugged (and kicked on the head) the officers who felt with us were mostly nice, not very efficient (I had to show one how to use the computer system). Two came back to drop off the ‘evidence’ - one (a very new officer) was rather sweet and considerate - but his colleague just stood and gave me a filthy death stare (definitely vibes of a man I’d avoid). I don’t know why he was giving me such a look of loathing. I’d never met him, spoken to him and I had only opened the door.

Goodness knows why those officers haven't faced any disciplinary action as a result of that incident. It can't have been a one off, or a unusual incident, the way they all joined in without hesitation. Just pure spite and revenge for a woman they decided was irritating to them.

Goodness might not know but institutionalised misogyny with a culture of impunity do…

Depends on the situation, based on the good wife, basically have a solicitor present, before any discussions take place, better to have one and not need one.

Goodness knows why those officers haven't faced any disciplinary action as a result of that incident. It can't have been a one off, or a unusual incident, the way they all joined in without hesitation. Just pure spite and revenge for a woman they decided was irritating to them.

Dear god, what did I just read?

Apparently giving them a Paddington bear extra hard stare and asking ‘are you bloody kidding me??’ Isn’t the right thing to do when they ask for your name, address and dob for doing press-ups against the back of a pack bench.

Yessir it happened (it’s the law apparently NOT to use railings or park fixtures for exercise purposes).

Also asking them why they are hassling you rather than looking for the 3 guys who mugged your teen, grabbed his phone and kicked him in the head. Or ‘so what about him on the bike over there? Or her over there not picking up the dog shit? Or them over there on the path on electric scooters??? Why aren’t you hassling them? Is it. Because they aren’t fat wee middle aged white women and a soft target???’

Apparently I have ‘an attitude’. Also apparently my eyes go a bit dark and very scary when riled (before my male companion stepped in and did the ‘officer - are you sure this is necessary?’ routine to diffuse a potentially ugly scene).

Ducker still took my details…

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jan/24/met-apologises-to-academic-for-sexist-derogatory-language

Taken from the other board - an officer told others to treat her like a terrorist and they cut off her clothes with scissors.

go mysteriously quiet and don't tell anyone what's happened to their money or whether they're going to get it back.

Hang on I thought all the legal cases were funded by the right-wing Christians?