11 Ways Police Officers Trick (or Mislead) You

POLICE TRICK #1: The police call you a “witness” to convince you to make statements that may later turn you into a “suspect.”

POLICE TRICK #2: The police convince you that you “need” to come down to the precinct to talk, even though they need probable cause to arrest and compel you to do so. (Before you go anywhere with a police officer, ask them if you are under arrest. If they say yes, ask for an attorney; if they say no, walk away!)

POLICE TRICK #3: The police threaten to charge you based on alleged “eyewitnesses” who don’t even exist.

POLICE TRICK #4: The police threaten to charge you because they falsely claim they found your personal items, DNA, fingerprints, or other evidence linking you to the crime at the scene.

POLICE TRICK #5: The police claim that they have witnesses who claim you confessed to committing the crime to them, when no such witnesses exist.

POLICE TRICK #6: The police claim they have enough evidence to charge you with several more serious crimes if you don’t talk to them, when, in fact, they have no such evidence.

POLICE TRICK #7: The police falsely claim that a friend or acquaintance has already ratted you out to get a deal, so you may as well “come clean.”

POLICE TRICK #8: If you are foolish enough to give police a statement, they may promise they will let you go home as soon as you tell them what happened. This, of course, is almost always a flat out lie.

POLICE TRICK #9: The police tell you that if you give them “consent” to search your car or residence, they’ll let you go. (NOTE: If they need to ask for consent, then they don’t have probable cause to arrest you, or they’d be able to get a search warrant. NEVER consent to anything!)

POLICE TRICK #10: The police will falsify or exaggerate portions of any oral statement you make if it is not tape recorded.

POLICE TRICK #11: The police have you rehearse what they want you to say before they tape record your statement.