If you find yourself being questioned by a police officer, some of the things they say might have you wondering. They might sound plausible, but not that plausible. 

For example, an officer could tell you that they have a witness who saw you leaving the scene of a crime. Or they might claim your friend who they arrested with you had already admitted their guilt and said you were there too. Or the officer might tell you that admitting to the crime could save you between three and five years behind bars.

Officers are not obligated to tell the truth when questioning you

An officer has to tell the truth in court. However, up until that point, they are under no obligation to stick to the facts. Lying to suspects, or twisting the truth they present to them is recognized as a valid police tactic. Something that could help persuade someone to confess, or even if they don’t confess, to react and say something that could inadvertently strengthen the case against them.

Not everyone agrees with this tactic

While many applaud this tactic, pointing to the number of confessions it has secured, others point out that many of those confessions were made by people who had nothing to confess. They merely buckled to the pressure the police were applying and were tricked into thinking that it was better to say they did it even when they didn’t.

Young people are particularly vulnerable to this. They might not know they have the right to stay silent. And they do not have the maturity to stay strong under such intense psychological tactics.

Whatever your situation, if you find yourself being questioned by the police, you may want help to protect your rights and your chances of walking away free.