Is a search warrant with dogs usual initial contact?
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New here, I am sorry we are all in this situation. I am hoping for some clarity. My father was arrested recently and the first contact was a knock at the door, an arrest and then roughly 12 officers and a sniffer dog, with a search warrant to seize all devices belong to this person. This was all at the same time. They searched there and then while he was taken to the station.
I have a very young child and my mum rang me as their house was searched to inform me of what was happening. An officer present asked to speak to me to tell me that my father had been arrested under suspicion of IIOC and that safeguarding would need to be put in place for my baby.
The officer told me that the arrest had been made because of an internet referral and it was traced back to his IP address. 3 people live at that house but they specifically arrested him and said that they had enough to narrow down to one suspect. Is this 'the knock'? Is this normal first contact? He is currently on bail. Thankyou in advance.
I have a very young child and my mum rang me as their house was searched to inform me of what was happening. An officer present asked to speak to me to tell me that my father had been arrested under suspicion of IIOC and that safeguarding would need to be put in place for my baby.
The officer told me that the arrest had been made because of an internet referral and it was traced back to his IP address. 3 people live at that house but they specifically arrested him and said that they had enough to narrow down to one suspect. Is this 'the knock'? Is this normal first contact? He is currently on bail. Thankyou in advance.
It was when my person was arrested. We had about 10 officers and a sniffer dog. I understood from the police this was standard procedure along with doing it early morning. It was 6am when they knocked at our door.
They want to get it done quickly and also, they do not want to give the person being arrested a chance to remove any of the evidence from the house. Also, there can be many places that drives can be hidden as they are so small. So specialist sniffer dogs are used that are trained to sniff out electronic devices. They can find something as small as a sim card.
They want to get it done quickly and also, they do not want to give the person being arrested a chance to remove any of the evidence from the house. Also, there can be many places that drives can be hidden as they are so small. So specialist sniffer dogs are used that are trained to sniff out electronic devices. They can find something as small as a sim card.
Cupcake7, our house was searched without a sniffer dog present.
We only had 2 officers search our house no dogs it was around 10am
Same as Cherry.
In fact they asked me if they'd got everything. No, they missed a laptop which I told them about. I relive that moment, what if i'd said yes. I'm far too honest and law abiding but i do replay that scenario.
In fact they asked me if they'd got everything. No, they missed a laptop which I told them about. I relive that moment, what if i'd said yes. I'm far too honest and law abiding but i do replay that scenario.
I think that some of us may have had sniffer dogs at the 'knock' as I believe they are not in all counties yet, but have been in some areas for a while. These dogs are called 'Digi Dogs' as they have been trained to sniff out technology. I think that they will become more common in the coming years as it must cut down the time searching for devices.
Thankyou so much for your replies! It is appreciated x
Yes, this is what's called 'the knock'. We didn't have sniffer dogs but had 8 officers show up early in the morning. OH was already at work so I was asked to give his work details and even draw a map how to get there. Then the officers stayed for several hours (one of them making awful comments) and then I had to identify each device and try to guess the pin. It plays a lot in my mind. What if I had just said they can't come in as my OH wasn't home? Should I have challenged them more when asked to identify stuff and guess access codes? Did I really need to be so 'helpful'?
Ive had a lot of therapy since and my therapist wanted me to write an official complaint about the comments the police and SS made to me but I was way too scared of retaliation.
Ive had a lot of therapy since and my therapist wanted me to write an official complaint about the comments the police and SS made to me but I was way too scared of retaliation.
We had three officers. Two looked around whilst the other one bagged and recorded what they were taking. They were really respectful. My person had already been arrested at this point so I was the only person in the house.
I am so sorry to hear that people have experienced disrespectful law enforcement on top of an already situation :(
It also sounds like there isn't a normal with how many officers are present. Perhaps it is random? Perhaps it depends on the evidence found prior to the search warrant?
it is horrible being in this friends and family situation, this forum is helping though, so thankyou for sharing x
It also sounds like there isn't a normal with how many officers are present. Perhaps it is random? Perhaps it depends on the evidence found prior to the search warrant?
it is horrible being in this friends and family situation, this forum is helping though, so thankyou for sharing x
A heart-felt 'welcome' to this very distressing world you never asked to be a part of. This platform is an amazing oasis of understanding, knowledge and shared experience.
Yes, that is called The Knock'. I was at work when I received a phone call from the DI saying they had my partner in custody and had a warrant to search the house, and if I didn't get there within the hour they would force entry.
I had a small team of trainees I had to leave and drove like a maniac to get home to be met by about six officers and a sniffer dog. I was none the wiser as to why they wanted to search the house, especially with a dog. My partner and I were not drug users.
The officer leading the search refused to tell me why they were doing it, explaining I had to read the search warrant. I let them in the house, and that's when I read the warrant, and I went into shock and my world fell apart.
The dogs are trained to sniff out all forms of technology and storage devices like SIM cards, flash drives, external hard drives. They even seized his camera.
Yes, that is called The Knock'. I was at work when I received a phone call from the DI saying they had my partner in custody and had a warrant to search the house, and if I didn't get there within the hour they would force entry.
I had a small team of trainees I had to leave and drove like a maniac to get home to be met by about six officers and a sniffer dog. I was none the wiser as to why they wanted to search the house, especially with a dog. My partner and I were not drug users.
The officer leading the search refused to tell me why they were doing it, explaining I had to read the search warrant. I let them in the house, and that's when I read the warrant, and I went into shock and my world fell apart.
The dogs are trained to sniff out all forms of technology and storage devices like SIM cards, flash drives, external hard drives. They even seized his camera.
The variation is strange. We had three or four officers and no sniffer dogs. They were in and out really quickly, just shoved everything in bags and went. We weren't shown a warrant or given any paperwork (I think I should have got a list of devices seized?). I only found out they'd taken a DSLR camera belonging to me two months later when I opened the camera bag it usually lived in and found it gone. Hilariously they actually took my laptop and left his. I noticed a few hours after they left and rang them up to come and get it (which the OIC did, very grumpily - I think she knew they'd really screwed up) It just felt like a total clownshow. Nothing was examined in the house and they didn't ask for any PINs. I was surprisingly 'together' so could have helped with that.
Sad&Scared, they didn't show you a warrant???!!! They had no right setting one foot in your house without a warrant! Wow! That's completely incompetent and probably illegal. I wasn't told why they were searching the house. They insisted I read the warrant, which is exactly what they should have done with you.
3 officers came to my house, no dogs. They didn't even have a warrant as they weren't sure my partner lived here and had acted off intelligence (he'd not long lived with me at that point).
I was reluctant to let them in, it was early in the morning so I'd opened the bedroom window to see who was knocking and he only showed me a card which he said was a warrant card, it could've been a Boots Advantage card for all I knew. Because they suspected my partner was here and wouldn't answer what they were there for when I was asking them, they started to get aggressive and said if I didn't open the door they would knock it through. Eventually I opened the door and when they came in I was told I should open the door if officers tell me too. The whole situation really riled me because at that time there'd been reports of people pretending to be officers to rob houses and it was around the time of Wayne Couzens arrest so my trust in that situation was off.
If I had my time again, I would've said he wasn't here or lived here and then they wouldn't have been able to enter my home or subjected me to what they did. He could've then gone quietly to the station to see them.
We always learn our rights after the unfortunate event but going forward, police can enter your home without a specific warrant if they believe a suspect is there or a crime has been committed there under the PACE Act. Obviously they can if they have a warrant too also.
The Knock is such a horrible experience and when you have horrible officers there too it really is a nightmare, the feeling of your home being ransacked is horrible too. Wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.
I was reluctant to let them in, it was early in the morning so I'd opened the bedroom window to see who was knocking and he only showed me a card which he said was a warrant card, it could've been a Boots Advantage card for all I knew. Because they suspected my partner was here and wouldn't answer what they were there for when I was asking them, they started to get aggressive and said if I didn't open the door they would knock it through. Eventually I opened the door and when they came in I was told I should open the door if officers tell me too. The whole situation really riled me because at that time there'd been reports of people pretending to be officers to rob houses and it was around the time of Wayne Couzens arrest so my trust in that situation was off.
If I had my time again, I would've said he wasn't here or lived here and then they wouldn't have been able to enter my home or subjected me to what they did. He could've then gone quietly to the station to see them.
We always learn our rights after the unfortunate event but going forward, police can enter your home without a specific warrant if they believe a suspect is there or a crime has been committed there under the PACE Act. Obviously they can if they have a warrant too also.
The Knock is such a horrible experience and when you have horrible officers there too it really is a nightmare, the feeling of your home being ransacked is horrible too. Wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.
Hi baffled
I was never shown any paperwork and my partner wasn't home when the police came. I refused to let them in four times but they said it's in my best interest to do so because I wouldn't want the neighbours to hear why they're there. They knew my partner wasn't home. Was I within my rights to refuse entry?
I was never shown any paperwork and my partner wasn't home when the police came. I refused to let them in four times but they said it's in my best interest to do so because I wouldn't want the neighbours to hear why they're there. They knew my partner wasn't home. Was I within my rights to refuse entry?
Hey Hopeless,
Unfortunately not, under the PACE Act (which is what the police exercised at mine and most likely yours) it means they can enter a property a crime has possibly been committed in order to obtain evidence. The only time they wouldn't be able to is if you stated he did not live there at all. They also said exactly the same to me, "better let us in you don't want your neighbours hearing". They need to deal with it differently, all sorts of stuff crosses your mind and they get angry that you don't let them in but as a woman, especially a woman with no experience with police, it goes against instinct to let them in.
Unfortunately not, under the PACE Act (which is what the police exercised at mine and most likely yours) it means they can enter a property a crime has possibly been committed in order to obtain evidence. The only time they wouldn't be able to is if you stated he did not live there at all. They also said exactly the same to me, "better let us in you don't want your neighbours hearing". They need to deal with it differently, all sorts of stuff crosses your mind and they get angry that you don't let them in but as a woman, especially a woman with no experience with police, it goes against instinct to let them in.