For many of us, the idea of "assisting in police investigation" is something that only happens to other people.

To strangers we don't know, chiefly, whose names appear in news reports.

Because crime and real bad sh*t only happens to other people, right?

Here's the thing: you don't have to have committed a crime to be called up to assist in investigation. You might be a friend of the person being investigated; you might be a victim or someone close to the victim, or you might even have just been a witness to an incident.

Whichever it turns out to be, it's always useful to be prepared. So take a few minutes to educate yourself on what to do if you ever find yourself being called up for a police interview:

1. Be calm, and don't freak out

Don't get so nervous or stressed at the prospect of a police interview that you end up breaking down in front of the investigating officer. Doing so, or being anything other than calm and collected, will not do you any favours.

2. Be respectful, and don't lose your temper

The officers may level accusations at you — perhaps even say things that insult you or that are completely untrue — but for them, it's all about doing their job, which is to get to the bottom of the case they are investigating.

So don't lose your cool, once again, and don't be rude or lose your temper at them.

[related_story]

3, 4. Listen to the question, very carefully, and make sure you understand it

When interviewed, make sure you listen carefully to the question asked and that you understand it fully, and precisely, before answering specifically what is asked.

If you're not clear about exactly what context, location or time the question the interviewer is asking should be set in, clarify. Ask specifically which context the person is asking you the question is referring to.

5. Think of the answer first, and say it clearly and with as much clarification you need to make sure what you are saying cannot be misinterpreted

When the officer asks you a question, you might think you know what to say immediately and be tempted to blurt it out in order to move on quickly, you should still stop and think for a few seconds to process what he has asked against what you know, to ensure that what you say is accurate and also precisely what you want to say.

Definitely, make sure you speak up to clarify anything you have said to make sure it was spoken in the right context and cannot be misinterpreted in any way.

6. Check the statement you have given VERY carefully

At these police interviews, three scenarios are possible:

1. You wrote out your own statement
2. The police officer wrote it out for you
3. The police officer typed it out on a computer and printed it for you to check

But whatever it is, or however it's done, make sure you check it carefully and agree with every word before signing it.

Once you have signed it, you can't go back and claim you didn't mean to say what was written in there, specifically because you signed against it.

You also won't get a copy of the statement you gave to the police to keep for yourself. It's only under extremely limited circumstances that you can, so don't bank on that.

Check on the spot, and make any changes you need to right away, or add any necessary explanation or context, before signing.

The TL;DR:

You can watch the full video, made by the friendly folks at Law Guide Singapore, here:

Other useful things to read, since we're talking about this:

10 things that are good to know if or when you’re getting arrested in S’pore

Top photo: Screenshot from Law Guide video