At a stop and search, remember GOWISELY: Grounds; Object; Warrant card (if not in uniform); Identity of officer; Establishment (station); Entitlement to a copy of the record; Legal power used; You are being detained for the search. Stay calm and do not resist; you can complain afterwards.
On arrest or in a voluntary interview:
- Free, independent legal advice from the duty solicitor is available at any time; asking will not make you look guilty.
- Caution wording: "You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."
- Under 18s and vulnerable adults must have an appropriate adult.
- Do not accept a caution, or any other out-of-court disposal, before legal advice. Each needs an admission and has record, job, travel and immigration consequences (Outcomes and records).
- Ask for pre-interview disclosure of the evidence before you are interviewed.
Stop and search in more detail
- PACE s.1 and MDA s.23 require reasonable grounds; Code A forbids relying on personal factors such as race or appearance.
- Smell: College of Policing APP says it is "not good practice" to base grounds on "the smell of cannabis alone".[34][35] The IOPC's April 2022 national report made 18 recommendations, including a Home Office review of smell as grounds.[36][37] Smell alone is not unlawful: City of London Police noted "there is no stated case which says that the smell of cannabis alone cannot provide reasonable grounds."[38] Avon and Somerset has trained officers not to rely on it.[39]
- GOWISELY rights: Grounds, Object, Warrant card, Identity, Station, Entitlement to a record, Legal power, You are detained. In public, only outer coat, jacket and gloves can be required to be removed.
- Complaints: the force's Professional Standards Department or the IOPC; StopWatch supports.