## Video Summary This video explains the legal obligations you have when stopped by the police. Many individuals misunderstand whether they must provide personal details such as their name or address and the implications of their right to silence. The video clarifies that while you do not have to answer police questions unless they suspect you of an offence, you are required to provide identifying details upon request if such suspicion exists. It also outlines how to verify the identity of officers, what to do if you feel unsafe, and your rights during police encounters, including the conditions under which police can stop and search you. It emphasises that misunderstandings about these rights can lead to legal troubles, urging viewers to be aware of the potential consequences of refusing to cooperate in a lawful police interaction. ## Transcript Many people misunderstand the rules about whether or not you have to speak to the police, whether you have to give them your name, your address, your date of birth, or any other details. This misunderstanding usually arises because people know that there is a right to silence, but they often confuse what the right to silence actually means and what potential consequences exercising that right might have moving forward. Hopefully, I can clarify some of these points in this video by providing general guidance. Obviously, this is not intended as legal advice, nor is it meant to encourage any kind of confrontation with the police, but it should help you understand your position if the police stop you and want to talk to you. Welcome back; I'm the Black Belt Barrister, helping you understand law. In this video, we will discuss the police. Do you have to speak to the police? Do you have to give them your name, your address, your date of birth? Do you have to answer their questions? The answer is: it depends. There are a couple of different situations, separated by a thin blue line, if you will. Let’s start with police officers in general. Police officers may be in uniform or not, whereas a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) must be in uniform if they want to stop and question you. As a precautionary note, just because someone is in a police uniform does not necessarily mean they are a police officer. If a police officer stops you, you are perfectly entitled to ask for their warrant card and to speak to any of their colleagues, particularly if they are in plain clothes. In fact, the College of Policing’s practical guide to plain clothes officers states that if they arrest someone, they should summon another colleague as soon as possible, preferably one in uniform. The Metropolitan Police say that if you are alone with a single officer and no one else arrives, you should ask some searching questions such as: Where are your colleagues? Which station are you from? How did you get here? Will other officers attend? To reiterate, every officer should have a warrant card with them at all times, and they are also expected to carry it when off duty, as they might need it to intervene in situations. If you are in any way suspicious and the person claiming to be a police officer does not produce a warrant card, I would suggest calling the police yourself, given recent news events. Nothing worse can happen than what is already happening, but if the person isn’t really a police officer, you will need help in any event. If you fear for your safety, you can scream out and call for help if you believe this person is not a police officer. Now let’s discuss what the police officer or PCSO might typically stop you to talk about. They might ask who you are, what you’re doing, where you’re going, where you’ve been—things like this. Without more, you can refuse to answer these questions, and the police cannot arrest you for declining to answer. However, this is where the thin blue line comes into play. If the officer suspects that you are involved in some kind of anti-social behaviour or another offence, you must provide your name and address when asked. Failure to do so would be a further offence. If the officer does suspect that you’ve committed an offence, they must inform you of the general nature of that offence and some details. Merely informing you of that suspicion would then validate their request for your name, address, and potentially your date and place of birth to identify you in line with their enquiries. In that situation, if the officer believes or suspects you’ve been involved in an offence and you refuse to give those details—or provide false information—the officer could arrest and charge you. Similarly, if you provide information and are asked to remain there while the officer verifies your information, you must stay. If you try to leave the area, the police may use reasonable force to detain you while they check your information. Regarding stop and search, police can only do so under specific circumstances. First and foremost, they may possess a search warrant, obtainable only with reasonable evidence. Secondly, if officers have reasonable grounds to suspect you’ve committed or are about to commit a crime—for instance, if you look like you are about to steal a car or burgle a house—they may search you. If you want a full explanation of your rights during a search, I have another video on that topic linked in the description below. Moreover, officers may search you if they suspect you pose a danger to yourself or others or if you are carrying weapons—especially on school grounds—or if you are involved in any terrorist activity. A brief note on the right to silence: identifying yourself to the police officer is different from exercising your right to silence. For example, if they suspect you’re involved in a crime and ask for your name, address, and date of birth, you must provide that information to identify yourself. Failure to do so would be an offence, whereas exercising your right to silence comes into play once you are arrested. Part of the caution states that you do not have to say anything; this means exactly that. You are not obliged to provide self-incriminating information and have the right to free legal advice before questioning. The right to silence pertains more to not having to answer questions during an interview compared to merely providing your details in the aforementioned situations. When heated debates arise regarding whether you must tell the police anything, including your name and address, heed this warning: refusing to provide those details could lead to further trouble if it turns out the officer was acting lawfully, and you failed to cooperate. You could then be arrested and charged. I hope this video is useful. Please share it with someone who might find it helpful. Don’t forget to subscribe, and as always, thank you for watching.