Criminal defence lawyer shares the three things you need to know before speaking to police

A former cop-turned-criminal defence lawyer has shared his key talking tips when conversing with police officers.

Although we hope you'll never need to rely on this advice, there's no harm in brushing up on what the best practice is in the event that you end up nattering with the boys in blue.

Legal whiz Alex Loftgood has seen both sides of the coin, as after serving as a police officer and prosecutor with Victoria Police for 13 years, he decided to become an advocate for the accused.

According to his law firm, Loftgood Legal, he 'knows the system from the inside out' thanks to his past experience - making him the perfect person to call in a police-related crisis.

It explains that he made the dramatic career switch because of his 'desire to use his knowledge for the greater good'.

And it appears that Loftgood really is keen to share his wisdom far and wide, as he often posts clips offering legal advice and sharing tips that could save you from the slammer on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.

In a video shared to social media late last year, the Australian explained that there are three things that he 'wishes everyone knew when dealing with the police'.

Although he's based Down Under, his trifecta of tips could come in handy whatever country you're in. According to Loftgood, it's largely a case of less is more when you're talking to a copper.

In the clip, he kicks off by saying that 'if the police are interviewing you or asking you questions and they suspect that you've committed a crime', you should keep schtum.

"Other than telling them your name and date of birth, you should say no comment to every other question," Loftgood said.

He urged his more than 43,000 TikTok followers to resist the 'natural instinct' of trying to explain yourself, warning that 'it is still rarely in your best interest to answer the police's question' even if you're completely innocent.

"Tell them no comment and you'll be in a much better position in the future if you do get charged," the criminal defence lawyer added.

Next, Loftgood advised people to 'never' give their consent for cops to search you, your car, your house, or 'anything' for that matter.

"If the police ask you if they can search, the answer is always no," he continued. "Whether you have something on you or not, the answer is no."

However, Loftgood explained that you can't always just outright refuse a pat-down from a police officer.

"It's a different story if the police have a search warrant or they're using a lawful power to search you," he said. "You shouldn't stop or prevent them from searching, but never, ever consent to a search."

Thirdly and finally, Loftgood said that you 'should always' request a lawyer whenever you are dealing with law enforcement.

"A lot of people think it will put the police offside if you ask to speak to a lawyer or that it's going to cost an exorbitant amount of money," he continued.

"The police understand, they're just doing a job, and many lawyers will give pre-interview advice or preliminary advice free of charge.

"You'll be in a much better position to know your rights and make sure that you don't get yourself into unnecessary trouble."