Have you ever made a citizens arrest?

[oldclairdelaloon]

Is it even actually a thing?

Not exactly, but I have caught several criminals and delivered them to the police. 1) a man on a sleeper train in Scandinavia who stole stuff from the other passengers - I managed to find where he'd hidden some of the stuff, and reported him, but as the train was passing over a national border, the police refused to do anything, 2) a man who grabbed my briefcase in the street - I chased him, and someone else then took over and got the briefcase back and we called the police, 3) I was assaulted at a fairground, tracked the man down and reported him to the police - it went to court and he was convicted.

Sort of. My neighbour dragged a drunk woman out a car she had just crashed and I took the car keys. She then chased me round the street until the police came! 😁. Which was amusing because she was falling over everywhere and bouncing off parked cars.

Crikey, I thought citizens arrest was a myth! Like Common Law Wife, (in UK anyway)

No but similar to Nico, I have helped stop a drunk driver who had crashed outside my house from leaving the scene.

No, but I saw one at at a Summer fete a few years ago.

Someone was hanging around the Tombola stall, which had bottles of alcohol on it as prizes. It was obvious what was going to happen, but she had to wait until they actually took the item, so the crime had been committed, before being able to make the citizen's arrest.

DH and I stopped two people assaulting a bus driver - I held on to the female on the bus, whilst he chased and caught the male who made off. Kept hold of them until the police arrived.

It’s real but there are considerations before doing so around the timing, the location and the nature of the offence.

I'm assuming that the police don't encourage it as I'm guessing it might cause them problems later.

Flowersmakemyday - the mental image made me laugh. Good on you, hope I'm as brave if ever confronted with a similar scenario. Hopefully you and your dh were unharmed.

It’s real but there are considerations before doing so around the timing, the location and the nature of the offence.

Yes. I think we were told about it at school when a policeman came in - he must have mentioned it. I dunno. Must have come up in conversations. I think you have to state that you are making a Citizen's Arrest (must read up on this in case it becomes useful!).

Saavi - not as brave as it sounds - Dh did 30 years as a police officer and used to be one back in the early 90's. We both just reacted to what we saw.

Lots of jobs use the power of citizens arrest- PCSOs, security guards, bouncers etc- they don’t have any other rights (well PCSOs do tbf)

I haven’t arrested someone, no. You’d have to deliver them to the station or detain them
Until the police came so the actual arrest bit doesn’t mean much anyway

Section 24a Police and Criminal Evidence Act;

(1)A person other than a constable may arrest without a warrant—

(a)anyone who is in the act of committing an indictable offence;

(b)anyone whom he has reasonable grounds for suspecting to be committing an indictable offence.