Police visit

[2024i]

Just wanted to discuss this with someone really as I don’t know what to make of it!

earlier today someone knocked my door whilst I was WFH and in a teams meeting. I muted my mic, opened the door, expecting a parcel. Only for 2 police officers to be outside!

They asked if anyone else was in the property and asked to come in and look around. When inside they were asking loads of questions. Eg for my name, how long have I owned my home, if anyone else is associated with the address, previous owner’s contact details. They then asked if I knew this woman, and showed me a mugshot image of her, and then showed me an email on their phone which had my address. I had no clue and they were apologetic and said they may have wrong address and then wanted to know about the neighbours or any strange incidents. Meanwhile the bloody teams call I was in is still ongoing, luckily my mic was muted but my camera was still on!

I can’t remember many other specifics but still feel a bit taken aback. I wonder how the police got my address associated with this random woman, and if I need to worry about anything eg her showing up or people giving out my address for wrongdoing

I might be reluctant to let police into my house thanks to Wayne Couzens and his ilk. Another concern is the people (mostly women) who have been arrested or questioned relating to things they have shared on Twitter (on the subject of gender ideology). I’m surprised to see so many posters saying ‘sure, let them in!’ I used to trust the police implicitly. I have a healthy suspicion of them now.

So many paranoid people. Why wouldn't y you want to help police with their enquiries? If the OP had refused to let them in they may have thought that the person they're looking for was there, but by letting them in she showed that it's her flat and no one else was there.

I suspect those who would refuse would then complained loudly to everyone if they came back with a warrant even though it could have been prevented by just letting them in.

This happened to me once many years ago. Someone had given my address and flat number as his registered address to his probation officer upon release from prison. Where I lived was like numbered streets on a grid system, so think W. 10th St, W 11th St, etc. I was 300 W. 10th St., flat 3B. I'm guessing he pulled the building number 300 and the street W. 10th St. out of thin air. The flats were A & B on each floor (front and back flat) and he just gave flat 3. So clearly was just made up. It's amazing though that there is no one who checks out these things before they just release someone into the night from prison. I can only imagine that this stuff gets made up quite often when people want to evade the authorities for whatever reason. Officers just had a chat with me at the threshold and asked similar questions and showed me his photo (never seen him before!). They went away satisfied and I never saw them again.

This situation would not happen now as rigorous pre-release checks are carried out, and any address given has to be pre-approved by the Probation Officer. I am surprised it happened in the first place to be honest, although from your post it looks like you were abroad at the time.

Why did you invite them in, without demanding to know why they were there?!

I would be polite and speak on the doorstep – but no stranger is coming into my house without a very good reason.

I wouldn't let them in as I wouldn't feel comfortable/almost a bit vulnerable having people in my home that I didn't know where coming. However, I could ask what they wanted and what I could do to help, and let them in if I felt it was really necessary after that, which I think is far enough.

Inviting them into one's house is a personal decision, but not asking them for identification is mad.

There are a few paranoid people on this thread.

There are many reason why they would have been asking about this person. She could have failed to appear in court so a warrant could have been made for her to be arrested, somebody could have asked for a welfare check and given the wrong address etc.
I wouldn't worry about her coming to your address though, it's highly unlikely that she will.

It has nothing to do with being paranoid. If you have nothing to do with the situation the police are inquiring about, there is no reason for them to come into your home and look around. It is not paranoid being smart enough to know that the police are not your friends and all of us are entitled to privacy when we have done nothing wrong.

Any questions they may have can be easily answered at your door. You can be accommodating and helpful without allowing them into your home to have a nosy.

So many paranoid people. Why wouldn't y you want to help police with their enquiries? If the OP had refused to let them in they may have thought that the person they're looking for was there, but by letting them in she showed that it's her flat and no one else was there.

People from poor/WC backgrounds tend to have this attitude because it trickles through from friends, relatives, hearsay etc. It's basically basking in the smugness of knowing a tidbit of info (usually false) that makes you secretly smarter than others. Especially as it relates to a social heirarchy, it's a kind of "fuck the system" attitude that make them feel less oppressed. Goes along with mistrust the government, belief in conspiracies, always assuming the worst of authority figures etc.

WC families teach their children that authority figures are the enemy and will punish them if they slip up. So any contact with authority (policemen, doctors, judges, social workers) are treated with suspicion. In reality, the best way to get out of a situation like this is to cooperate to the fullest extent IF you are 100% certain that you've done nothing wrong. If anything, make some banter or ask casual questions in order to build a rapport with the people who may have temporary authority over you. The human, emotional element is absolutely crucial in getting out of tricky situations.

Paranoia is real though?

I often see people who are unbothered by things using 'paranoid' in a negative way toward people as if are already not affected negatively enough.

I don't choose to be 'paranoid' - I'm actually hyper vigilant due to PTSD and I would not wish it on my worst enemy (as the saying goes. I don't have enemies irl)

Don't use it as a stick to beat us with if we say we would struggle with something. We don't choose this. It's not optional. I didn't pick fear, it just hit me.

Tbh I would be reluctant, if alone, to let the police in my home without a warrant.

And if I did let them in I'd be filming everything. As to why I don't trust the police? Because I have eyes and ears. Any mistrust on my part is down to them, unfortunately.

I'd have asked them wait outside while I phoned to check theyvwas legit if they wanted to come in but wouldn't say why.

If you've had a bad experience with the police but your not doing anything wrong, that's fine. If they are legit they would wait while you called.

The police were trying to solve a crime and they had a lead which was OP's address. The person they were looking for might have inflicted damage to lots of innocent victims, via fraud/drugs/theft/injury whatever.

So how does it help if OP refuses to let them inside or refused to cooperate under the pretext of "her right to privacy"? The police arrived on the property with the belief that their target might be inside. And if OP refused them entry, they can only assume it's to give her roommate time to escape or hide. At best it a big waste of police time and they still have no way of knowing whether the suspect is at the address or if they can rule that line of investigation out.

EDIT: I'm not familiar with the legalities but I believe it's not forbidden for the police to request ENTRY into your home, the same way a social or health worker might do. A warrant would be needed if they actually wanted to search your belongings and take things with them as evidence. Obviously a huge difference between the two.

Refusing to talk to the police makes you seem guilty, insisting on a solicitor makes you seem guilty .... you get my drift. The op did everything right, I doubt they will return

How would that help? They are looking for someone who has probably given them a fake address. Refuse to let them in, they will go away and get a warrant and come back to search the place. Let them in for a quick look around, they will quickly work out the OP isn't hiding a fugitive in the back room and go away.

I always let the police into my house in the past. I had malicious calls made against me. I was panicking the first time and trying to block their way in such a panic but did let them in. If I hadn't they would have thought those calls had some truth to them and been suspicious

Is your tinfoil hat on tight.

Been in trouble with the police have you 🤣

It is your right to refuse access to your home. I dont see it as antagonising anyone, and it should not be seen as such. They are expecting access based on good will and trust. I expect the same when i say the person is not here.
If there were any real reason, they would have no problem getting a warrant.

Im not sure if i would have let them in without futher information, i dont know until it happens but i would absolutely help them on my door step and i do respect the police, but i dont think i would feel comfortable having strangers in my house.

But yes i think someone is maybe falesly using your address for something or someone has "helped" the police citing your address as a point of interest/activity.

I had a phone call in the middle of the night from the police once. They asked all sorts of questions, mainly about my car, make & model, reg no, who else was insured to drive it (nobody, I was single then) and then they asked me where it was. I said it was outside, and they then asked me to go and check!

Honestly, my heart was racing, but there was the car safe and sound where I left it, they said sorry to bother you and thanks very much.

It really shook me up, but they were just doing their job. I later reckoned that there must have been another car associated with some crime or other, and they'd got cloned plates with my car's reg on it.

I have read all the replies, thank you. I am sure they were police officers. Fair enough to those who have had bad experiences - I haven’t had much dealings with the police so am not really distrustful of them. I think they’re generally useless/under resourced as opposed to malicious/predators. They were same gender/women so it didn’t occur to me that I might be at risk of sexual harm by inviting them in, I was a bit panicky and confused in the moment though

I could have challenged them more and possibly controlled the conversation more as I was definitely following their lead and giving them any information they wanted? Though in this situation I didn’t have anything to hide. (Apart from the Xmas tree still being up and the place not being immaculately tidied!)

Christmas tree up on the 16th?!? No doubt there was thread about you where the 101 mafia where out in force.😂

Utter naivety. I suspect you have little real life experience – but you certainly believe you know it all. Do you know nothing about historical (and current) abuses of power?

The point is that the police did not have authority, temporary or not, over the OP. We are not a police state, and there are limits on what the police (and others) can and cannot do. People would do well to know and protect their rights, and that includes not feeling pressured/intimidated to admit authorities into their home when they do not know why they are there.

If anything, make some banter or ask casual questions in order to build a rapport with the people who may have temporary authority over you

What? Why? Why on earth should anyone feel obliged to try and ‘build rapport’ with someone in authority who is erroneously treating you with suspicion?

Interesting thoughts re WC people and suspicion of authority. Once upon a a time I might have agreed with you but not so much now. I’m MC I would say. I was raised to respect authority figures pretty much without question. Certain police forces have proved countless times over the past few years that they have some deeply suspect and/or power hungry people on their payroll. If the police want the public’s trust, they might have to make some decent efforts to earn it.