police custody
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police custody
The short-term detention of a person by the police in order to establish their identity, prevent a crime, or bring them before a judge. It is not imprisonment as punishment after a conviction.
Nach der Demonstration wurden mehrere Randalierer für einige Stunden in Polizeigewahrsam genommen.
After the demonstration, several rioters were taken into police custody for a few hours.
This word consists of 'Polizei' (police) and 'Gewahrsam' (custody). 'Gewahrsam' is a formal word for holding a person or safely keeping an object, and it is derived from the verb 'wahren' (to protect, to preserve).
Der Verdächtige wurde zur Befragung in Gewahrsam genommen.
The suspect was taken into custody for questioning.
'Polizeigewahrsam' (police custody) is a term from official and legal language. You find it mainly in police reports, legal texts, and the news.
Laut dem offiziellen Bericht befand sich die Person nur zwei Stunden in Polizeigewahrsam.
According to the official report, the person was in police custody for only two hours.
The preposition 'in' is used with the accusative for movement ('jemanden in Gewahrsam nehmen' — to take someone into custody) and with the dative for a state ('in Gewahrsam sein' — to be in custody). Release is expressed with 'aus' + dative.
Die Polizei nahm den Mann in Gewahrsam.
The police took the man into custody.
arrest
Festnahme refers to the process in which the police seize a person and take them into custody. Polizeigewahrsam refers to the subsequent short-term detention by the police, for example to establish the person's identity. The first term emphasizes the process, while the second emphasizes the time spent under police control.
Nach dem Vorfall blieb der Mann bis zur Klärung seiner Identität im Polizeigewahrsam.
After the incident, the man remained in police custody until his identity had been established.
Die Festnahme des Mannes erfolgte am Bahnhof unmittelbar nach dem Vorfall.
The man was arrested at the train station immediately after the incident.
