Advice needed please - Interview with police on Tuesday

cathryn107

Hi Sexyeyes

Any update? I've been thinking about you and hope it went OK

sexyeyes83

Hi,

When I went down I was arrested and fingerprints and DNA taken.

The allegation is that within a 4 day period a sum of money went missing and I visted the house once during that time. There was also another allegation that a neighbour of one of the clients I visit had a bra stolen from a package in a communal hall way. The police office came to the house and searched my underwear draw and also my washing. The bra that was taken was a 38F and im only a 34B!

When I asked if anyone else was being questioned he said he had a list of people he had to interview and ive been bailed until June, although he said he'll probably be in touch sooner.

DON79

Hi sexyeyes, have read your thread and just wanted to wish you all the best, keep your chin up, you haven't done anything wrong. Best wishes for the future.

Just a thought, since they have taken dna and fingerprints, do you know whether you are in your rights to request these removed from police records once you are cleared of any wrongdoing?? If it was me, I would be getting a solicitor or lawyer to make this request once I had been cleared. You should not be left with any kind of police record once this is all over.

best wishes.

sexyeyes83

Thanks Don.

I must say im not that worried now. I think it was the waiting and not knowing what was happening which made it so difficult.

The solicitor said there was a time when they used to remove fingerprints and DNA, however they don't do that anymore. When I got home I had a search and it looks like he could be wrong. http://www.genewatch.org/sub-539478

DON79

At least you know as well that others are being questioned, although your employer sounds awful in the whole way they went about it. Have the others being questioned been treated the same as yourself (i.e. badly!) by your employer? If not, they are treating you unfairly and discriminating against you which you may mean have a case against them.

It's worth checking to see if you can legally request your prints and dna removed from record certainly, I see no reason why they should keep details of an innocent person on record.

sexyeyes83

It would be very interesting to know if the others from work have been suspended, however ive got no way of finding out. I know that one of the managers visited this ladies house to do a call during the period the money was supposed to have gone missing is still at work.

Once this is all over and done with ive spoken to my partner and im going to leave the care industry. I know allegations are common as when I worked in the office last year numerous allegations were made towards careers. I just dont think there are enough safeguards in place. Ideally two careers should attend every call, however im guessing companies just dont have the money to pay two people to do one persons work.

DON79

Best of luck with it and whatever you do decide to do. I was actually contemplating changing career and looking into the care industry but I am not so sure now to be honest! I have even applied somewhere but I think I will have to give it some serious thought.

cathryn107

Hi sexyeyes

Glad that you are feeling relieved. Very surprised that you were placed under arrest when you had attended voluntarily, and also were only one of many people who had entered the house over a four day period. Also, how horrible to have a policeman go through your underwear drawer and dirty washing :mad:

You may be interested in this dicussion at a criminal solicitor forum- which basically does establish that there is no necessity for arrest in cases such as yours, where you are fully co-operating and prepared to be interviewed under caution.
http://www.criminalsolicitor.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4066&PN=4

I'd fight to get my DNA off the database when they decide not to proceed against you (they are in breach of a recent ECHR ruling if they refuse).

Also, as having been arrested will show up on any enhanced CRB check in future (which you need in certain jobs) and also affect your ability to travel to certain countries, like the USA, you may want to consider making a complaint.

timbellina

I can't see how this can go anywhere - a good solicitor is going to have a field day if it ever comes within a hundred miles of court!

Let's see - I wonder how many (exactly) allegations there were in the last year; and how many were substantiated? And how many staff were suspended as a result? (I'm guessing - "Loads", "None" and "One"). Where had this missing bra been bought from and has the buyer a history of having things go missing and then getting an extra item? Better still, how can they know it went missing? If they saw the bra in the hall, they would have taken it inside, yes? So they didn't see it. Who did? Did the police check their drawers? Given that you're fairly obviously not a 38F from your posts, what possible justification, apart from a personal pervy one, did the police officer have for searching your underwear drawer? (Actually - I know that one; and it's good from your point of view. I'm guessing the police know you're okay, and they want to make sure they're being thorough and can clear you thoroughly without anyone saying "well did you actually check?" - he must have known you wouldn't have the bra; so that's the perfect reason to check).

DEFINITELY get your DNA off the database - although you have nothing to hide, once you're on the database the implication seems to be that you've been guilty of something.

Oh - and I wonder if that policeman checked the underwear drawer of the 38F owner - just in case she'd actually got the bra in question? What a pity you can't arrange for the officer to interview the two of you, side by side, so you can see if he's capable of working out exactly why you wouldn't bother pinching a 38F, and she wouldn't bother pinching a 34B! Maybe you should ask to be investigated by a woman officer!

I know it's worrying - but by the sound of it, you haven't got too much to worry about; maybe you should store all this up and write an article for Woman's Weekly!

sexyeyes83

Hi,

Thank you both for your replies

I didnt realise it would make travel to the USA harder. We was planning to go there on a family holiday next year. Looking into it I would now have to travel up to London for a meeting at the US Embassy and pay $131 for a visa.
They say that the arrest is part of the procedure, however its amazing how it can still interfere with your life.

Regarding the bra, apparently the package that it came in was left in the hallway of the flats, however when the PC attended the house (my partner was there was I was at the police station) he said he was looking for "a package containing a bra"

I would feel ok about the matter if once its been dealt with it didnt affect you later on in life, however travelling and CRB checks are pretty important. I'll definatly be applying to have my fingerprints/dna removed but I feel the rest would seem like fighting an unwinnable battle.

What also frustrates me as that many other carers over the next few weeks are going to go through exactly the same as I did.