警察沙汰

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 警察沙汰, read けいさつざた, joins police 警察 with affair or trouble 沙汰 to name a police-involved incident.
• Basic usage: Use it when a problem escalates into a matter requiring police involvement, as in 口論が警察沙汰になる.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Scope and context
  • It does not cover every routine contact with police, such as making an inquiry or turning in a wallet; it implies an incident or serious trouble.