Hopefully you will never be arrested, but many people find themselves in custody without having done anything. In the vast majority of these cases, the person held will be released, but you don’t want to do anything that will incriminate you.
If you should be placed under arrest:
Do not resist. Resisting is against the law, even if you are otherwise innocent.
Only give your name, address, phone number, family member to contact, and your employer. (This information will be necessary for setting bail).
You are entitled to make one phone call. You may use it to contact a family member or an attorney. Keep the phone call to the basics of your case. You never know when the line will be tapped.
Do not speak disrespectfully or insultingly or threateningly to the police. They may use it as a pretext to treat you poorly while you are in custody.
Accept the fact that being arrested is a humiliating experience. The police will handcuff you, fingerprint you and put you in a cell. It’s nothing personal, they’re just doing their job.
Get the names of all the police involved in your arrest, if possible.