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Use a police station attendance checklist so preparation, custody desk steps, and reporting stay consistent. Document disclosure, outcomes, and follow-ups the same day — tired fee earners skim predictable headings. Align with the firm’s PACE 1984 / Code C awareness and your accreditation limits; this is operational guidance, not case advice.
Questions this article answers
What should a rep verify before travelling to custody?
Confirm station / suite, custody number or OIC contact, time window, client identifiers, offence outline, disclosure status, a conflict check, kit and ID, and a realistic travel ETA — then re-read the firm brief. Detail sits in Before you travel below.
What belongs in post-attendance notes for the instructing firm?
Include attendance times, officers, disclosure given or refused, advice given, interview outcome, bail / release, next steps, and billing-relevant facts (not invented fee rates). See Post-attendance reporting and the handover notes guide.
How do voluntary interviews differ in practice from booked-in custody?
Voluntary attendance is not detention under PACE 1984 Part IV, so custody clocks and full booking-in routines usually do not apply; the client can ordinarily leave unless arrested. Interviews under caution still engage Code C questioning standards (caution, fairness, consultation). Practical differences are in Voluntary interviews vs booked-in custody below.
Before you travel
This police station attendance checklist is a field aide — adapt it to the instructing firm and the venue. Before you leave, verify:
- Station / suite and how to enter (desk location, visitor process).
- Custody number and/or OIC / interviewing officer contact if the firm has it.
- Time window for consultation and intended interview — and whether custody expects you earlier.
- Client details: full name, DOB, and any vulnerability flags (AA, interpreter, medical).
- Offence outline and any prior instructions already on the file.
- Disclosure status: what the firm already holds vs what you must obtain on site (Code C paragraph 11.1A context — sufficient information for meaningful advice).
- Conflict check against your other instructions and the firm’s conflict rules.
- Kit: charged phone, notepad/pen, firm notepaper if used, professional visitor ID.
- Travel ETA communicated to the firm (and custody where asked).
- Escalation contact: named solicitor, not a generic switchboard if avoidable.
Arrival and custody desk
- Identify yourself and the instructing firm clearly.
- Note time of arrival, custody officer name/badge if given, and any delay reasons.
- Confirm legal consultation room availability and whether the client is ready.
Private consultation
- Take a full initial account in the firm’s preferred format.
- Check health, medication, sleep, understanding — and whether an AA or interpreter is required.
- Align on interview approach with the firm’s headline instruction; document if the client wishes to depart from it after advice.
- Explain next steps in plain English; confirm the client understands they can stop for advice during interview breaks.
Disclosure and interview
- Obtain whatever disclosure the officer will give; note gaps politely if material is missing (Code C paragraph 11.1A — sufficient pre-interview information for meaningful advice, subject to investigation-prejudice limits).
- During the interview, intervene on PACE Code C fairness (oppressive or improper questioning, breaks, further consultation) where appropriate; avoid turning into an advocate outside your role.
- Track breaks, legal consultations mid-interview, and any changes to alleged facts.
Outcomes
Record accurately:
- Charge, NFA, bail, RUI, voluntary end, or re-schedule.
- Dates of return to station or court.
- Property, phones, bail conditions summarised.
- Any warnings or ancillary processes the firm must know about the same day.
Post-attendance reporting
Send structured notes quickly — see handover notes best practice. A firm-ready outline usually includes:
- Attendance times (instructed / arrived / left) and venue.
- Officers dealt with (custody officer, OIC, interviewing officer) if recorded.
- Disclosure given, summarised, or refused — and material gaps.
- Advice given at a high level (interview approach agreed; mid-interview changes).
- Interview outcome and any prepared statement used.
- Bail / release position, conditions, return dates, or RUI markers.
- Next steps for the firm (chase CCTV, medical notes, further instructions).
- Billing-relevant facts only — waiting/travel notes the firm asked for; do not invent fee rates.
Voluntary interviews vs booked-in custody
In practice, adjust the checklist rather than ignoring it:
- Status: booked-in custody usually means detention under PACE 1984 Part IV with a custody record and detention reviews; a voluntary interview means the person is attending by arrangement and is not detained unless later arrested.
- Rights and records: detained suspects get the full Code C booking-in and rights package on the custody record; voluntary attendees still need clear advice on the caution, legal advice, and whether they are free to leave — record what was explained.
- Timing: detention clocks (PACE 1984 ss.41–44; Code C reviews) drive urgency in custody; voluntary slots are diary-driven, but late arrival still harms the client and the firm relationship.
- Process: drop custody-desk items that do not apply; keep disclosure, consultation, interview fairness under Code C, outcomes, and same-day notes.
Pair with the firm’s interview under caution materials where the instruction is voluntary.
Professional hygiene
- Store notes per firm policy; avoid personal devices for client data.
- If something went wrong (late arrival, disclosure dispute), say so early — firms forgive problems they know about; they rarely forgive surprises a week later.
Stay visible for the next instruction
Keep your directory profile accurate on counties, hours, and accreditation so firms can match you to live demand. Firms planning cover may also use police station cover overview before they instruct.
Operational guidance. Not legal advice. Follow your accreditation body rules and supervising firm instructions.