Interviewing and Interrogation Techniques
Interviewing and interrogation is an imperative component of the criminal justice system, particularly in cases with limited or non-existent physical evidence. In cases such as these, the information gleaned from interviews and interrogations typically make up the body of the evidence against a particular suspect or number of suspects, hence the importance of learning and practicing effective interview and interrogation techniques. For the purposes of this paper, I will begin by discussing the differences between an interview and interrogation, in addition to the differences between a witness and a criminal suspect. I will then discuss the various techniques imployed by law enforcement investigators, to include the popular Reid Technique of interrogation.
An investigative interview typically precedes an interrogation. In many cases, interviews of potential witnesses -- who at the time of interview commencement are typically not considered criminal suspects -- reveal key information leading to the identification and/or apprehension of one or several suspects. An interview is conducted in a casual, non-accusatory fashion, in simple question-and-answer (Q&A) format, the purpose of which is to glean as much information regarding the specific details of the crime as possible. These details could include the time and place of the crime, the specific nature of the crime -- robbery, assault, homicide, etc. -- the number of persons involved in the crime and their physical descriptions. Interviews typically take place in a setting that promotes the physical and emotional comfort of the witness, such as the witness's home or a place of neutral ground (Thakur, 2010).
By contrast, an interrogation of a criminal suspect typically takes place in an interrogation room or other venue designed to give the investigating officer the upper hand. The general nature of the interrogation -- aggressive or nonaggressive -- largely depends on the nature of potential offender, i.e. emotional or non-emotional. While emotional offenders are often first-time offenders who committed the offense with little to no pre-meditation -- and typically feel remorse after committing the crime -- non-emotional offenders are typically professional criminals who feel very little remorse, if any, and as a result are more difficult to illicit a confession from. In order to determine if a potential offender is emotional or non-emotional, investigators gather the following information prior to engaging in an interrogation:
The suspect's name, age, profession or occupation.
The suspect's financial status, criminal history (if any), and relationship to the victim (if any).
The victim's name, age, profession or occupation.
The victim's financial status, criminal history (if any), and relationship to the suspect (if any).
The time and place the crime was committed.
Crime modus operandi.
Physical evidence if available.
Information gleaned from witness interviews if available.
If, after gathering this information, it is determined that the suspect is likely an emotional offender, the interrogation technique is typically empathy-based, in which the investigator attempts to ingratiate himself to the suspect by presenting an understanding, non-judgmental demeanor designed to invoke the suspect's trust and so encourage his confession. If physical evidence and/or witness information is available, the investigator will typically present this information in a sympathetic, matter-of-fact but non-aggressive way, after which the vast majority of emotional offenders will admit to their involvement in the crime (Thakur, 2010).
By contrast, non-emotional offenders will likely be resistant to purely factual and/or evidence-based interrogation techniques, and so require a different approach to illicit a confession. By and large, the most popular approach to illiciting a confession from non-emotional offenders is the "Reid Technique," as developed by John E. Reid, criminal investigator and founder of a private polygraph firm in 1947. The Reid Technique, as outlined in Criminal Interrogation and Confessions (2004), is based on the following three part process of solving a crime:
1. Collection and analysis of evidence/information relative to the crime scene, victim...
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