One of the most worrying things to deal with as a parent is seeing the police outside your door. Generally, there are two reasons the police knock at a person’s door. To tell them someone they love has been injured or killed, or because they want to talk to someone about a crime. If you have your family inside with you, then you may worry the officers are there because they want to talk to your child.
You might be tempted to open the door to see what the officers want, but that could be a mistake. Once you open it to the police, it becomes harder to close it. Here are a few things everyone should remember.
They need a warrant to enter uninvited
If the police want to enter to search for something, or because they want to talk to your child, remember that they generally cannot enter without a warrant, unless you allow them to come in unless there are extraordinary circumstances, like their reasonable belief that a crime is being committed.
Neither you nor your child has to even talk to officers. You can just invoke your right to remain silent and wait for them to go away.
If the police do have a warrant, they are unlikely to leave. They will tell you through the closed door. At this point, you should ask to see it. Have them push it under the door or hold it up to the window so you can read it and make sure it is valid.
If the warrant is valid, then you may as well allow them to do what the warrant permits them to do, whether that is search the house or arrest you or your child. Trying to obstruct the process will likely only make things worse. Instead, get on the phone and seek legal guidance to understand your options and protect your rights.