Is a single police officer legally allowed to arrest a woman who is alone?

[impossible]

Does anyone know if a single police officer is allowed to arrest a woman who is alone and put her in a vehicle? Or for that matter is it legal for a single officer to arrest a male and confine him?

I'm thinking about what happened to Sarah Everard and wondering what the rules are. I think it's important that we all know in case something like that that situation happens again. Certainly I would like to be able to tell my dcs their rights.

There’s nothing Sarah Everard could have done to protect herself from this except maybe not be there at that time.

I’d like to think I’d question and demand he call the station but…I probably wouldn’t. Most people wouldn’t - we’re groomed to listen to the police and follow their instructions. Manipulative predatory men know exactly how to use such feelings against us. Knowing ones rights, being streetwise aren’t talismans that will keep us safe.

This is a very legitimate question and I’m still not sure of the answer after reading further posts. The police are just washing their hands of him saying they don’t class him as one of them. Well pal, the rest of us do! Wtf are we meant to do if we aren’t

The whole thing is unbearable.

I got pulled over onto the hard shoulder on a motorway for speeding a couple of years ago.

Told to get out and sit in the unmarked car, alone with a plain clothed solo male police officer.

I did have a few seconds panic when i realised the doors were locked and I was unable to get out.

Would I do it again? Would I fuck. Do me for resisting arrest or whatever. But no way am I getting out my car to be alone with a man claiming to be police officer.

Lost all trust in the police.

I have no beef with the police, I have 2 brothers who are both police officers, and loads of relatives. But the police force as a whole. No trust at all.

Why the fuck was this guy not sacked as soon as he started flashing?

We don’t stand a chance do we? Nicknamed “the rapist” by his colleagues ffs. I was reading a thread about “low level” sexual harassment by police officers today and the amount of women who’d experienced this was terrifying, and no complaints took seriously or they were covered up by colleagues.

I think the Covid laws being so grey also added to this. In normal times she presumably would have known if she was committing an offence and so perhaps would have questioned an arrest for walking down the street. The Covid legislation was so loose that we’d seen people being told they couldn’t use their front gardens by police or walk with a friend for coffee. That grey probably gave him an opportunity he wouldn’t have had under our regular laws.

The details are absolutely harrowing, that poor poor woman and how awful for her family, I cried reading their victim statements.

I’m glad to read the situation is different in Scotland and will be telling my DD. I get that kicking off would be seen as resisting arrest but if you know you’ve done nothing wrong at all you’d surely stand your ground? Do all UK officers wear body cams?

Sick fuck, I hope his soon to be prison mates know exactly who he is, a police officer is unlikely to be popular. I’ll be delighted to read of any future “scrapes” he finds himself involved in.

Police funding needs to be massively increased so that they have the resources to always have a partner that way everyone is protected

Yes

@Allthesefolks

We don’t stand a chance do we? Nicknamed “the rapist” by his colleagues ffs. I was reading a thread about “low level” sexual harassment by police officers today and the amount of women who’d experienced this was terrifying, and no complaints took seriously or they were covered up by colleagues.

Jesus Christ. Everyone who knew about this and his superiors need to take some damn responsibility

Have to admit I’ve never thought about this before. As a mother of 2 daughters isn’t a conversation I would have had - usually go to the police for help! It’s so worrying.

I wouldn’t know what a real warrant card looked like, those saying about the unmarked car - again it was dark how do I know what obvious things are on show with an unmarked car.
Not that I live in a bad area but when I have seen police arrest someone - even if there been police dressed like normal usually there are two uniformed police present and a police car.

I’m going with the dont get in the unmarked car and wait for the person to contact uniform?

But I know my eldest would do exactly what she is told to do once she had seen it was the police regardless…my youngest would most likely kick of.

Conversations I’d never thought I’d have to have with my girls :(

@Glugglejug

This is a very legitimate question and I’m still not sure of the answer after reading further posts. The police are just washing their hands of him saying they don’t class him as one of them. Well pal, the rest of us do! Wtf are we meant to do if we aren’t

The whole thing is unbearable.

Yep, now we have all the 'we are all so upset by this, we don't view him as a police officer' bollocks from The Met. Boo fucking hoo, how awful this must be for you.

Well he was a police officer you stupid bunch of pricks. It doesn't matter how you now view him. He was nicknamed 'the rapist' by you, he was accused of flashing and you allowed him to carry on working for you and he used that to murder a woman.

Aaaarrgghh!

Men need to stand up and say it’s not ok. This locker room bants shit needs to stop now.

@Doris86

Whilst a dreadful case, let’s put this in perspective. When was the last time you heard of a rogue police officer arresting and then murdering someone? Even if rules were in place to stop police men arresting women alone, is that going to stop someone intent on murder?

Or, to play devils advocate, how many police have done things like this and got away with it? We certainly know their colleagues protect them.

[quote TheWoleb]@Mymycherrypie

Most of the bystanders watching George Flloyd challenged the officers. That was a whole part of it. The wee officer standing in front of the crowd was staring at them silently while they shouted at them to stop. The guy who was kneeling on his neck was sat up, back straight staring at the bystanders who were shouting. It was very much, "shout all you want, I can do what I like".

People were not just standing watching silently.[/quote]
Exactly and all officers in the US are armed. Had someone tried to step in, they’d also be dead. Police over there seem all to ready to shoot to kill.

@FlowerArranger

I have followed this story from the beginning and really thought it couldn't get any worse. Sarah must have been absolutely terrified, being driven all the way from Clapham to Kent, knowing what likely fate awaited her. I sincerely hope he is never released, not ever.

I dread to think what he told her and how she died.

I listened to it on the radio and started crying. I’m terrified always have been or going out in the dark (my parents always told me I would be raped and have no one to blame but myself). He was bigger stronger but most likely got her in the car under false pretences and then he raped and murdered her - I really really feel sick about it. Men just don’t get it. We are terrified. A school teacher murdered just going about her life. Wtf is the world coming to. You say anything about women and fear and the standard reply is NAMALT - they don’t get it.

I read earlier that the arrest was witnessed by a couple who just thought she was being arrested

@SofiaMichelle thank goodness for someone sensible.

@Allthesefolks

We don’t stand a chance do we? Nicknamed “the rapist” by his colleagues ffs. I was reading a thread about “low level” sexual harassment by police officers today and the amount of women who’d experienced this was terrifying, and no complaints took seriously or they were covered up by colleagues.

Lot of it as well. My ex got away with it - an assault on me he used to be a police officer. I was told he has hit you - you say 50/50 he says he hasn’t. He hit me in front of our kids and basically the police said no chance of a conviction

Yeah, but if a single police officer started to arrest me when I'd done nothing to warrant it I think I'd have something to say and would ask to phone someone at least.
I would think she was probably suspicious but he is a big bloke what would you do once he had hold of you.

My ex got away with it - an assault on me he used to be a police officer.

Hopefully this wasn't recent??

The guidelines need reviewing. A non-uniformed officer in an unmarked car alone should not be allowed to put a single woman in the car. If it simply wasn't allowed then the bystanders may have been able to protect Sarah. If that means we need to fund police better so they work in pairs then so be it.

Separately, the "cover for each other" culture of the police needs sorting out. And it should start with the Met accepting their own failings in dealing with this horrific man. Followed swiftly disciplinary action against every single officer who turned a blind eye to his disturbing behaviour.

It's certainly made me think twice. A plain clothes police officer was doing door to door last year after a burglary. I knew it had happened to a vulnerable neighbour and wanted to help. It was cold so I invited him in to stand in the hall with the door closed so I could be helpful and answer his questions. Funnily enough he showed me his ID which I wouldn't have known if it was genuine or not, but he had the same public sector stationery that I have which made me a bit more confident. Stupid looking back on it. I wouldn't do that now, I'd be helpful if I could but at a distance. At the time I was worried about whether he genuinely was a police officer, now I know that isn't the only thing I should have been worrying about.

The reality is that barely any officer would transport a prisoner single crewed. Usually if a single crewed officer makes an arrest, we in the control room would immediately be getting another officer to assist. This is as much for the officer's safety as the detainee's. Most will activate their body worn video.
It's very rare for a single crewed officer to make an arrest, most single crewed units are doing non-risk stuff such as attending routine reports to take details abd if there is any suggestion they may get into making an arrest would call up fir a colleague.
Sometimes traffic officers will transport single crewed however you will have heard them speaking to the control rooms via their PR abd they will be in a marked car.

No officer acting lawfully would object to you calling the control room to confirm their ID and this happens more than you might realise.

@Mybalconyiscracking

I have told my girls to scream the place down if a single officer ever tries to put them into a car for anything. I would do the same and deal with any consequences later. That poor, poor woman., such a massive betrayal of trust. I hope they lock him up and throw away the key!

Absolutely. They should also kick, punch, bite, etc. the police officer. Why not try to rack up as many charges as possible?

Oh my god I've just read the paper.
It makes me weep for the 99.9999% of police officers out there that are good, upstanding human beings that joined up to help people. Like DH

@GitsandShigggles

Can't believe this was actually asked as a question! A lot of officers are single crewed so yes, they can make an arrest when on their own.

I think it's a perfectly valid question. We teach our daughters not to get into a car with a strange man. We know that a minority of police officers attack women. What do we tell our daughters now if a man (plain clothed or uniformed) with a warrant card (how do we know if it's a fake?) tells them to get into his car?