Nobody Talks, Everyone Walks: How To Deal With the Police

Written By: Peter L

Police in Australia have a long and dirty history of suppressing working class movements and oppressing minority groups at the behest of the state and federal governments. As police across Australia ramp up their campaign of oppression and violence, it has become increasingly important for everyone to know exactly how they should deal with the police.

The first, and most important rule, is that you should NEVER TALK TO THE POLICE. There is some information you may be required by law to give to the police, but as a general rule, you are never helped by speaking to the police. Even if you are innocent of whatever they are accusing you of, you will never be helped by trying to “tell your side of the story”. The absolute best thing you can do is to remain silent and wait for legal representation. The police have decades of experience in extracting information from people without them even knowing it. They are constantly working to gather as much information as possible and there is no scenario where you can “outwit them”.

Below are some scenarios that you may very well encounter with the Police. Please keep in mind that this advice is general, and there may be specific rules in your state or territory which may change this advice.

1. You are stopped by the police, and they have no reason to suspect you.

   1. In a situation like this, the best thing you can do is be polite, but brief. While the first rule still applies, you may draw more attention to yourself if you are combative right out of the gate.

   2. A good example of this is if you are being asked by police to provide a train ticket: if you have one, show it to them and carry on with your day. If it becomes clear that they have reason to detain or question you, remember the first rule and do not speak with the police.

2. You are stopped by the Police, and they have reason to suspect you, but have not arrested you.

   1. If the Police are questioning you in relation to an offence, and you suspect they will soon arrest you, the best thing you can do is not talk to them. If they ask where you have been, tell them politely that you do not wish to discuss your day. At this stage, the police are attempting to collect information from you which they will then later use against you in court.

3. You have been arrested by the Police.

   1. If you have been arrested by the Police, there is some information that you may be required to give them. In most states, you are required to provide police with your name, date of birth, and address if you have been arrested. It is usually against the law to not provide the police with this information. Ultimately, it may be against your own interests to not provide this information to the police, as they more than likely already have access to your information through other government services.

   2. Once you have provided this legally required information, you may return to the first rule and do not speak with the police. They may ask that you complete a “record of interview”. This is always a trick, and you must refuse to do so.

   3. Police may also attempt to trick you by telling you that your friends have ratted you out, and they already know everything, so you may as well tell them “your side of the story”. This is the oldest trick in the book and almost certainly a lie. Continue to remember the first rule and do not speak with the police.

4. The police have come to your house with a warrant

   1. If the police come to your house with a search warrant, the first thing to do is ask to see the warrant. Once they provide the warrant, you should allow them into your home. As disgusting as this is, if you refuse them entry, they will simply break down your door, destroy your things, and charge you with obstructing police. The overwhelming force of the police means that sometimes, it is best to comply with them rather than risk dramatic and immediate escalation of violence. You should continue to remember the first rule and do not speak with the police.

Running from the Police

At one point, you may feel that it is necessary to run from police who are attempting to arrest you. Ultimately, whether you decide to make this call is up to you and the situation you are in, but there’s a few things you should know before you decide to do it.

1. In most states and territories, it is Illegal to run from the police. The charge is often called “Obstruct Police”, and while it is usually a minor offence, it is important to consider that if you don’t get away completely, you are almost certainly going to be charged by police.

2. Most police are extremely fit and are able to communicate with other officers to trap you. This will vary from situation to situation, but if you are not confident in your abilities to get away, it can be more useful to you to stay put. In this situation, you remember the first rule and do not talk to the police. Ultimately this is a judgment call for you alone to make, but it is important to remember this information.

The police, acting as the armed guard of the state, are empowered to take almost any action against the working class to pursue bourgeoise interests. The best thing you can do is to refuse to assist them, speak with them, or in any way act helpfully towards them. We should all strive to build relationships in our community to make policing obsolete and a socialist state with agencies that enforce workers’ interests.