The first time you have dealings with the police can feel disconcerting. You might enter the situation a little naive of your rights, or of how these encounters work.
One thing you might assume is that the police will always tell you the truth. Sadly, this isn’t always the case.
The police may lie to get what they want
If the police question you, they are usually after two things. They want information, and they want to charge someone. If it’s you that they are questioning there’s a fair chance that it’s you they are intending to charge.
They can use a range of tactics to reach these goals, and somewhat amazingly, the law still sees lying to you as a valid tactic despite plenty of evidence that it can lead to wrongful convictions.
A few examples could include:
Telling you that someone has told them you did it. This could be an imaginary witness, or it could be your friend they arrested at the same time, who might not even have said a word yet.
Telling you that they have already solved the case and that you may as well cooperate and admit your guilt to avoid the hassle of a trial and in return, you can get a reduced sentence. They might not have a drop of information on you and know full well that a court would not convict you as it stands.
If the police can lie does that mean I can lie?
No. Lying to the police could land you in even more trouble. That’s why the best tactic when facing police questioning is usually to use your right to remain silent and say nothing. Learning more about this and other rights can be crucial if you have an encounter with the police.