Should I call my probation officer? I got in an accident, witnessed a crime, got questioned by a cop

Should I call my probation officer? I got in an accident, witnessed a crime, got questioned by a cop

Being on probation means you are being allowed to serve your sentence in the community but you do have rules and guidelines that you must follow. When you first met with your probation officer you went over the rules that apply in your county and with your particular case. Only an attorney can advise you about legal matters, but many PO's require you to contact them if you have any encounter with law enforcement. A few examples of such encounters include: The scene of the accident: Even if you have a valid drivers license, current insurance and the accident was not your fault, if the police were called to the scene it typically counts as police contact. You’re called in for questioning: Whether you are questioned about a crime in your city or in another jurisdiction, it is considered police contact by most POs. For example, if you are questioned about a rash of burglaries in your area but it is determined that you were not involved, your PO still wants to know that you were questioned about it. If you don't report it within the required time frame and the police let your PO know you were questioned, you could be violated for not following the rules. You Witnessed Something: A fight, a robbery, a theft, it really doesn't matter what you saw, if the police take your statement it is police contact. As a witness you may be called upon to testify. Your PO, will figure out that in order to testify you might have had contact with authorities long before the court date. You Are a Victim: As soon as the police take the report about that burglary, car theft or other incident, you might want to call your PO just to provide a heads up that the cops came by and you are a victim. In some cases, you will call your PO only to be told that the encounter was not something you needed to call in about. It is better to hear that than to show up at your next reporting date to discover that you are being violated for not calling in. Cops typically run checks on everyone involved in a situation, regardless of who is the victim, witness or suspect. The information comes back to them over the system within a few minutes. They’ll know you are on probation, in which city, and sometimes who your Probation Officer is.The police may legitimately need to talk to your PO on an unrelated matter later, and they may mention that they ran into you on the street. Protect yourself. Call and leave a message if the office is closed and call back when they are open.