What to do if…
someone you care about is taken into custody and you need to arrange support or collect belongings

What to do now

1. Confirm the safest contact route and the holding location.
   If you do not know where they are, call 101 or use the police force’s published non-emergency contact route. Give their full name, date of birth if you know it, and any incident details if asked. Staff may be limited in what they can confirm, so ask: “Can you tell me whether they are in police custody, at court, or elsewhere, and who I should contact next?”

2. If you know the police station, ask for the custody route.
   Ask for the custody desk or custody sergeant. Keep the call practical: confirm whether they are still there, whether you can pass on urgent welfare information, and whether there is any property-release process you can follow.

3. Pass on urgent welfare information only.
   Tell custody staff about immediate needs such as serious medical issues, disability needs, pregnancy, mental health risks, childcare responsibilities, dependants, or essential medication. For medication, give the name, dose if known, and where it is, then ask staff how they want it handled; do not hand in medication unless staff tell you how.

4. Ask about legal advice without trying to manage the case.
   If you can speak to the person, keep it simple: “Ask for free legal advice before any interview, ask for the duty solicitor if you do not have your own solicitor, and tell staff any urgent health or safety needs.” If you cannot speak to them, you can still ask custody staff whether welfare information can be passed on.

5. Ask what property exists and what can be released.
   Ask whether their possessions have been recorded, whether any items are being kept as evidence, and whether any non-evidence items can be collected. Ask exactly what ID, written permission, nomination by the detained person, reference number, opening hours, and entrance you need before travelling.

6. If you are asked to collect belongings from a home, car, workplace, or arrest scene, keep it narrow.
   Take only clearly practical items you can safely store, such as keys, wallet, glasses, essential documents, basic clothing, or a written note of medication and health needs. Photograph what you take before you leave, keep it together in one bag, and write down where each item came from.

7. If police have removed or seized items, ask for the record.
   If officers are present, ask for the officer’s name or collar number and any property receipt, seizure record, crime reference, or custody reference they can give you. If they cannot give it immediately, ask which team or station you should contact later.

8. If they are moved to court or prison, switch to that place’s property rules.
   Ask where they have gone and what reference details you can use. If it is a prison, contact the prison’s published route before sending or bringing anything. Ask what has travelled with them, what is stored, what can be handed in or collected, and what identification or authorisation is needed.

9. Keep one clear note.
   Record the date and time of each call or visit, who you spoke to, the station, court, or prison, any reference numbers, what you were told, and what you collected or handed over.