Should I arrest? – PC Bloggs
Posted by nakedcop on February 8, 2007
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First published Sunday 4th February 2007:
Should I arrest?
Last week a Blandmore resident watched two youths robbing a young kid of his mobile phone. He dialled 999 and confronted the youths, asking the call-taker, “Can I use force to detain them?” The call-taker said, “No. It would be an assault and illegal.” Oh dear.
Next week’s Panorama talks about whether you should fight back if you are the victim of crime, but more usually the question is whether to get involved in other people’s crimes, by trying to prevent it or capture the offender. Here is a checklist for whether or not to make the “citizen’s” arrest:
Can you pronounce the word “indictable”?
Do you know what the word “indictable” means?
Do you know what the word “offence” means?
Can you put the two together and understand it?
Can you make a list of “indictable offences”?
Can you remember all of this when you are on the stand in court?
If the answer to any of the above is “yes”, well done, you are ahead of most police officers and can now consider issues of your own personal safety and whether, when all is said and done, you really give a crap. If you do not, try Tony McNulty’s suggestion of “jumping up and down“. That will ensure that the baddie turns his attention away from his victim and onto you.
