Do people have to talk to the police if police call or contact them?

No — a person does not have to answer police questions, whether that's in person, at a station, or over the phone. You can confirm identifying information if asked, but you're not required to explain, discuss the events, or answer follow-up questions. People can also ask to call duty counsel for free advice before deciding how to respond, and that call is confidential. This applies the same way whether the contact is a phone call, a text, or an in-person visit. Anything said can be used later. What someone should actually say or do in their specific situation is the kind of thing only the lawyer can answer — the office goes through it with them on the call.