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.

Meant to add - this officer was one of the (many) referrals to IOPC concerning this, so I don't think it's be an easy one to sweep under the carpet.

It's also possible that they have all been held until after the end of the judicial process - something that should be complete tomorrow and the sentencing is expected then

My mum has always told me to drive to the nearest police station and not get out of the car if a man in a police car flags me down at night and I'm alone. What I'd do on the street though I don't know in reality and I'm just so sad for Sarah.

@Mymycherrypie

It is illegal to obstruct someone else being arrested however.

And also this. So he knew no one could/would step in. All that on his side regardless of whether he was on duty or not. Women have zero chance against predatory male police officers and what a great field to get in because the MET give zero shits.

Yep. If I see a woman screaming on the street, while a man (not in uniform) is with her, and supposing I step in to ask if she needs help- as soon as he flashed his warrant card and says "I am a police officer", I would back off, because I would trust that there is more going on that I am not privy too. I suppose most people would. The poor woman stood no chance, even if anyone had intervened or witnessed what was happening.

The crime was not dealing with his previous flashing etc.
Other colleagues not dubbing him in.

It's very evident in this thread that a lot of people have not had a lot of contact with police - I have, in a professional capacity, for many years.
Offenders like Wayne Cozens may be rare but the attitudes that allowed him to get away with it are not. The force I work with most often is full of mysoginists who are either too incompetent or just do not have the will to investigate crimes against women. Female victims are routinely treated with a lack of respect, from putting missing teenagers in handcuffs to confiscating rape victim's phones for months. And I have heard many, many accounts from women and girls of being mistreated, sexually harassed and even assaulted by officers while they were being arrested or under arrest. Often while two or more officers were present. And the Met is well known to be one of the worst forces for this type of behaviour alongside other corruption and incompetence.
If you have no experience of this and don't believe me, it's likely because you've been fortunate enough to be in a position of relative power in society - however, try reporting street harrasment next time it happens if you want a flavour of how women are often treated by police.
Wayne Cozens was not really a bad apple, he was a prime example of what happens when an organisation is allowed to develp and maintain this type of culture.

@Spiindoctor

The crime was not dealing with his previous flashing etc. Other colleagues not dubbing him in.

Yes.

I wonder why they wanted to continue working with him?

Why they thought it was acceptable behaviour.

They are all complicit.

@wherethewildthingis

It's very evident in this thread that a lot of people have not had a lot of contact with police - I have, in a professional capacity, for many years. Offenders like Wayne Cozens may be rare but the attitudes that allowed him to get away with it are not. The force I work with most often is full of mysoginists who are either too incompetent or just do not have the will to investigate crimes against women. Female victims are routinely treated with a lack of respect, from putting missing teenagers in handcuffs to confiscating rape victim's phones for months. And I have heard many, many accounts from women and girls of being mistreated, sexually harassed and even assaulted by officers while they were being arrested or under arrest. Often while two or more officers were present. And the Met is well known to be one of the worst forces for this type of behaviour alongside other corruption and incompetence. If you have no experience of this and don't believe me, it's likely because you've been fortunate enough to be in a position of relative power in society - however, try reporting street harrasment next time it happens if you want a flavour of how women are often treated by police. Wayne Cozens was not really a bad apple, he was a prime example of what happens when an organisation is allowed to develp and maintain this type of culture.

This colleagues thought it was funny to nickname him "The Rapist", which tells you everything you need to know about The Met.

His, not This!

I agree with everything @wherethewildthingis said. Apart from interactions with the police when I've been burgled, every other experience has been awful. They have not made me feel safe in any way at all. And that's why I didn't report my rape.

This colleagues thought it was funny to nickname him "The Rapist", which tells you everything you need to know about The Met.

Was this an affectionate nickname they gave this guy? Because that is just nuts to me. Like gossip and whispers, I get, but imagine actually nicknaming your friend 'the rapist' WTAF

The police are clearly in serious need of reform. Those saying it won't make a difference he'd have done it anyway should be ashamed of themselves. If it weren't for deeply entrenched misogyny in the police and society he would have been properly dealt with at the first sign of his wicked behaviour - many, many years ago.

@roolz

This colleagues thought it was funny to nickname him "The Rapist", which tells you everything you need to know about The Met.

Was this an affectionate nickname they gave this guy? Because that is just nuts to me. Like gossip and whispers, I get, but imagine actually nicknaming your friend 'the rapist' WTAF

I can't imagine it was affectionate! I was being sarcastic when I said funny, because there's nothing remotely funny about it. They gave him this nickname for his questionable conduct then didn't take the indecent exposure reports seriously – a crime report was logged but never followed up – and now they want the public to know he wasn't one of them? Unbelievable.

Thanks for this wherethewildthingis. It's very scary.

Do you think it's even possible to change the culture when it's a reflection in part of the society we live in?

Oh I see @Loudestcat14, it's crazy. We all know or have heard "don't trust the police" etc. But this is genuinely crazy to think this happens, and that people are aware of his history.

Threads like this make me so sad. I am a female who is with the police and the hysterical rhetoric that is coming out about the police is frightening.

This man is not normal, he does not represent rank and file officers and is a single extraordinary case. He deserves to spend his life in prison for the horrific things he has done but he is not all male police officers, he is the exception.

The absolute overwhelming majority of male officers are hard working, conscientious and professional. To say that single crewed men can't arrest a female is ludicrous and such an insult to all those who put their lives at risk to protect women.

Yes, trust in the police had been damaged by his actions and will need to be rebuilt, but this hysterical nonsense will make a generation of women scared to report anything to police because they wrongly think all male police are monsters.

Sometimes this site is really unhelpful to society.

Yes, trust in the police had been damaged by his actions and will need to be rebuilt, but this hysterical nonsense will make a generation of women scared to report anything to police because they wrongly think all male police are monsters.

The reason this is so shocking to me is because of the very fact that I do put trust in the police, and it's not something I expect to hear from London. Most people know not all police are murderers and rapists, and the police I this country are less brutal than most other places

@Coffee2sugars

Threads like this make me so sad. I am a female who is with the police and the hysterical rhetoric that is coming out about the police is frightening.

This man is not normal, he does not represent rank and file officers and is a single extraordinary case. He deserves to spend his life in prison for the horrific things he has done but he is not all male police officers, he is the exception.

The absolute overwhelming majority of male officers are hard working, conscientious and professional. To say that single crewed men can't arrest a female is ludicrous and such an insult to all those who put their lives at risk to protect women.

Yes, trust in the police had been damaged by his actions and will need to be rebuilt, but this hysterical nonsense will make a generation of women scared to report anything to police because they wrongly think all male police are monsters.

Sometimes this site is really unhelpful to society.

So it’s this hysterical nonsense’ ie women being scared to report crimes due to a historical fear and mistrust of the police that stops people trusting the police, and not the many, many examples of women killed, sexually assaulted, ignored or belittled by the police?

That’s quite the mental gymnastics you’ve done there. Especially when you’ve chosen this particular case - the one where not only was the rapist murder in the actual metropolitan police force, but also had previous for indecent exposure that his colleagues ignored, also had the nickname The Rapist by those same colleagues (all police officers, remember!) - to make your point that we’re ridiculous and should trust the police because they say so?

It’s more of an insult to women to suggest that measures to keep them safe are ridiculous in case we offend a couple of policemen.

"This man is not normal, he does not represent rank and file officers and is a single extraordinary case. He deserves to spend his life in prison for the horrific things he has done but he is not all male police officers, he is the exception."

But officers didn't care enough to report him for what he had done did they?

And for as long as he was in the force-he did represent them, was one of them & no one seems to have had any worries about him?

That's a big problem.

@Coffee2sugars

Threads like this make me so sad. I am a female who is with the police and the hysterical rhetoric that is coming out about the police is frightening.

This man is not normal, he does not represent rank and file officers and is a single extraordinary case. He deserves to spend his life in prison for the horrific things he has done but he is not all male police officers, he is the exception.

The absolute overwhelming majority of male officers are hard working, conscientious and professional. To say that single crewed men can't arrest a female is ludicrous and such an insult to all those who put their lives at risk to protect women.

Yes, trust in the police had been damaged by his actions and will need to be rebuilt, but this hysterical nonsense will make a generation of women scared to report anything to police because they wrongly think all male police are monsters.

Sometimes this site is really unhelpful to society.

And also, how ‘abnormal’ was he that his indecent exposure was something his colleagues saw as a quirky part of his personality, and not as a danger to society? How abnormal did they think he was? I’d guess not very.

And threads like this make me so sad because it’s yet another woman killed by a man. It’s yet another example of how we can’t trust the police.

They don’t make me sad because I’m worried some policemen might get offended.

'Hysterical rhetoric'

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/sep/28/at-least-15-serving-or-former-police-have-killed-women-in-uk-since-2009-report

And let's not forget all those women who were sexually exploited by undercover cops.

The police service is rotten to the core.

@Coffee2sugars

Threads like this make me so sad. I am a female who is with the police and the hysterical rhetoric that is coming out about the police is frightening.

This man is not normal, he does not represent rank and file officers and is a single extraordinary case. He deserves to spend his life in prison for the horrific things he has done but he is not all male police officers, he is the exception.

The absolute overwhelming majority of male officers are hard working, conscientious and professional. To say that single crewed men can't arrest a female is ludicrous and such an insult to all those who put their lives at risk to protect women.

Yes, trust in the police had been damaged by his actions and will need to be rebuilt, but this hysterical nonsense will make a generation of women scared to report anything to police because they wrongly think all male police are monsters.

Sometimes this site is really unhelpful to society.

news.sky.com/story/revealed-how-many-police-officers-in-your-area-have-criminal-convictions-12024290

Serving police officers up and down the country have convictions for things including cruelty to animals, ABH, malicious communications, battery, criminal damage, fraud... what it doesn't tell us is how many were sacked, or if the offences were before or after they joined.

While nobody at all is saying all police are bad people, the bad apples need to be rooted out before they even join.
People who like to hold and abuse power over others are attracted to the police (not all who are attracted to the police are like this, of course).

Also, women aren't scared to report to the police because they think they may be in physical danger when doing so. More likely we won't be believed, won't get to trial, or won't get a conviction for crimes like sexual violence where the conviction rate is woeful.

@Coffee2sugars

Threads like this make me so sad. I am a female who is with the police and the hysterical rhetoric that is coming out about the police is frightening.

This man is not normal, he does not represent rank and file officers and is a single extraordinary case. He deserves to spend his life in prison for the horrific things he has done but he is not all male police officers, he is the exception.

The absolute overwhelming majority of male officers are hard working, conscientious and professional. To say that single crewed men can't arrest a female is ludicrous and such an insult to all those who put their lives at risk to protect women.

Yes, trust in the police had been damaged by his actions and will need to be rebuilt, but this hysterical nonsense will make a generation of women scared to report anything to police because they wrongly think all male police are monsters.

Sometimes this site is really unhelpful to society.

Coffee2sugars I do understand your frustration but think this is an important conversation, the point of it being to help women protect themselves from men pretending to be one thing when in fact they are another.

Of course this man is an extraordinary case but until now I suppose many women would have assumed a man claiming to be an undercover police officer with no radio contact is who he says he is. After this awful event more women will be questioning and perhaps be less compliant.

I also agree with TartanJumper that the reason many women don’t report to the police is because they don’t expect a trial or conviction to follow, not because they fear physical violence. Society needs these have these conversations to shine a little more light on how things should and could move forward for the better.

@Coffee2sugars

Threads like this make me so sad. I am a female who is with the police and the hysterical rhetoric that is coming out about the police is frightening.

This man is not normal, he does not represent rank and file officers and is a single extraordinary case. He deserves to spend his life in prison for the horrific things he has done but he is not all male police officers, he is the exception.

The absolute overwhelming majority of male officers are hard working, conscientious and professional. To say that single crewed men can't arrest a female is ludicrous and such an insult to all those who put their lives at risk to protect women.

Yes, trust in the police had been damaged by his actions and will need to be rebuilt, but this hysterical nonsense will make a generation of women scared to report anything to police because they wrongly think all male police are monsters.

Sometimes this site is really unhelpful to society.

"Hysterical rhetoric" and "hysterical nonsense"? How dare you. Dismissing women with genuine concerns about their and their daughters' safety is misogynistic and it's this ingrained attitude towards women within the police that has led to public confidence in them being at an all-time low. Well done for just enforcing that low opinion. 👏