Press one criminal to provide answer (8)
I believe the answer is:
response
'answer' is the definition.
(I know that answer can be written as response)
'press one criminal' is the wordplay.
'criminal' indicates anagramming the letters.
'press'+'one'='pressone'
'pressone' with letters rearranged gives 'RESPONSE'.
'to provide' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for response that I've seen before include "comeback" , "Press one for a reply" , "Reply, rejoinder" , "Answer - retort" , "Answer - reaction" .)