advice for what we should do if the police visit?

[vivariumvivariumsvivaria]

It occurred to me that I have no idea what I should do if the police came to my door.

Am I right in thinking that if they request an interview you can refuse to attend until you have posted on MN?

Can anyone point a boring, conformist, clean living woman who may have written polite emails, harbour stickers and haberdashery (and who is definitely offensively female) in the direction of practical advice?

I think Ceri Black politely refused all invitations to go to the station, Marion Millar and PP both attended with a solicitor, and Granarchist went alone.

Because, frankly, I'm now at the stage of "bring it on".

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

@aweegc

And any menstrual products you may need.

They will be removed from you on arrest and you will not get them back til you are released.

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.

@BeyondShrinks

I do have two questions on the subject, mind...

1. How does being arrested even work if you are dependant on a carer through severe disability? Are they held with you? 😄
2. If you claim a mysterious third "gender", not NB but something really obscure - how does intimate searching work?

1: you are held in a cell without anyone at all.

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.

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

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

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.

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?

Useful info about your rights can be found here:

knowmyrights.org.uk/

www.gov.uk/browse/justice/rights

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

@JenniferAlisonPhilippaSue

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.

This seems to be the same advice as others have given. What do you think is wrong with what others have said?

This is very helpful, so thank you to the PPs.

I am aiming to not get arrested, but I am also of the opinion that as engaging in the democratic process and a bit of amateurish NVDA has not helped focus my elected representatives minds on the sex based needs of women and girls then perhaps my NVDA game needs to be upped. If there is a mass protest or action then I'm there, and I do not think that a women's refusal to "go home and sit down" would be tolerated in Scotland.

Afghan women went to university, they had jobs, they could travel and make choices a few years and a lifetime ago.

"Never forget that a political, economical or religious crisis will be enough to cast doubt on women's rights. These rights will never be vested. You'll have to stay vigilant your whole life" Simone de Beauvoir

I’ve always wondered if you tell your solicitor the truth, but then they tell you what to say to the police, or do you not tell them what you’ve really done ?

If you admit guilt to your solicitor, they cannot enter a "not guilty" plea for you. They can argue in mitigation.

They will point this out to you.

@RocketPanda

I reckon I am a lot older than some posters here so have less to lose in terms of employment, status etc. I may or may not have been in possession of stickers. I may or may not have given stickers to another person. I may or may not have left offensive ribbons in public places. They can come for me, I don't care.

Me too Rocket! Let the fuckers come...💚🤍💜

@HirplesWithHaggis

If you admit guilt to your solicitor, they cannot enter a "not guilty" plea for you. They can argue in mitigation.

They will point this out to you.

But then admitting to flyposting some stickers is not admitting to harassment or any other trumped-up charges. It's best to be completely open and honest with your solicitor. In the sort of cases we're talking about, no crime was committed (other than really minor FPN-level stuff like littering or flyposting) so the job of the solicitor is to point out the large holes in the prosecution case that mean that the CPS wouldn't touch it with a bargepole.

@BlueberryCheezecake

Based on previous GC arrests, the thing to do seems to be to immediately start a crowdfunder to cover your legal fees, then once the charges get dropped, go mysteriously quiet and don't tell anyone what's happened to their money or whether they're going to get it back.

😂😂😂 Women give, and have given money to support others who are in need for whatever reason. We each decide who to give to, when and how much, so we don’t need any “ advice “ , comments or guidance from you. HTH

This seems to be the same advice as others have given. What do you think is wrong with what others have said?

I was wondering that.

BlueberryCheezecake
Based on previous GC arrests, the thing to do seems to be to immediately start a crowdfunder to cover your legal fees, then once the charges get dropped, go mysteriously quiet and don't tell anyone what's happened to their money or whether they're going to get it back.

Although I am reminded there is still a Gofundme with over £10k raised to pay for someone to give birth in Sweden to get a birth certificate giving false information about the parent of the child. The baby having arrived early this plan has been scuppered. What to do with the £10k 🤷‍♀️
It's a conundrum isn't it.

There are several references to "no comment interviews" in this thread. How does this square with the bit about "things you rely on later in court" part of the reading of rights?

In theory the court can draw an inference from a no comment interview, (doubt your truthfulness basically if you later come up with a defence) however that doesn't often seem to happen. No comment interview does stop you dropping yourself in it by accidentally admitting to more than you intended. It's probably good advice in most cases.

It's so awfully sad that women feel like this about the police after the events of the last two years. In my life, I feel they did protect me in the immediate when I was in a horribly abusive relationship in my teens but didn't help in the longer term ( no dv specialist, risk assessment, idva, refuge or suzi/freedom project, no housing, no concequence for perp)

In a relationship with abusive ex mid 20s I hit him back after much abuse from him and I called police for help and they cautioned me and not him, as I told the truth but he lied. Not good.

In ine more recent years since Laura Richards and the coercive control law they were much better. I was able to obtain the occupation order with the help of the agencies they referred me to. They handled it really well and saw that it was abuse and making me ill despite it being no physical. I felt they were my heroes, and I still feel that, but again I feel I am more wary of them now. What a shame.