They May Want To Arrest Me? What Should I Do?
Quite often Criminal Solicitors or Police Station Representatives are contacted by members of the public stating that the police have contacted them and that the Police may be looking for them.
What should you do if you are in that situation? See our handy list below:
(1) Don't Panic!
Quite often the Police will contact people for purely routine reasons. You could a witness to a car accident, they may be making routine enquiries about a missing person. Your car may have been stolen or you may have some important information to give. Do not automatically assume that they have contacted you becasue they want to arrest you but if you think that they might want to.... go to No 2 below.
(2) Obtain the Officers Name and Badge Number
Most Police Officers conduct theiir own investigations. Often the only other person who will know about their investigation is their direct line supervisor. Ringing 101 will often not produce the desired result. The operator will often tell you that without details of the police officer concerned it will be impossible to find out whether you are wanted. Sometimes by presenting yourself at the police station and giving your name and address and date of birth the front desk officer is able to check the position by doing a Police National Computer check. However you may be wanted and a marker * may not be on on the Police National Computer yet.
(* A marker is a mark on the police national computer stating that you should be arrested if the police come into contact with you.)
(3) Contact a criminal solicitors firm, criminal solicitor or accredited police station representative
Police station legal advice and assistance is free for all potential criminal offences where the investigating officer is a police officer.
Contacting a criminal solicitor, accredited police station representative or criminal solicitors firm will mean that a representative will be able to contact the police on your behalf and potentially avoid the police arresting you where you could be extremely embarrassed i.e. at work, at an inconvenient time i.e. 3 a.m. in the morning or in an unnecessary situation i.e. when it can be arranged for you to come in to the police station by appointment and interviewed voluntarily.
Having a legal representative acting on your behalf will mean that you may well be able to get disclosure of the case against you before you go to the police station. At the very least a legal representative has a duty to act in your own best interests and will do his utmost to discover the case against you from the police prior to your interview. He will be able to advise you as to your legal rights and what is the best thing to do or not to do in the interview in order to put yourself in the best legal position that is possible.
Legal advice and assistance at the police station by criminal solicitors and accredited police Station Representatives who hold the necessary qualification and whose firm has a contract with the legal aid agency is entirely free. The police will often advise you that you "don't need a solicitor". They just want "a little chat". Be warned. Anything that you say to the police can and may be used against you in a court of law.
This article is written by Robert Cashman, a practicing criminal solicitor with a national firm of Criminal Solicitors. It does not purport to be a exact statement of English law but for guidance only and you should always get independent legal advice about your specific situation.
Robert can be contacted via https://www.policestationagent.com/
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