Richard Leo's Boilerplate Statement Regarding Police Interrogation Practices

Jun 26, 2024

The following is the "boilerplate" position taken from various statements, publications and testimony of Richard Leo regarding police interrogation practices.

The Social Psychology of Police Interrogation

Police interrogation is a...

Is offering a suspect a moral or psychological excuse for committing the crime the same as offering them a promise of leniency if they confess?

Jun 03, 2024

Social psychologists and other law enforcement critics suggest that during interrogation if the investigator offers the subject a moral or psychological excuse for committing the crime, it is tantamount to making a...

“I did it”…. is that a valid statement of guilt?

May 29, 2024

The purpose of an interrogation is to learn the truth. In most instances, this consists of the guilty suspect telling the investigator what he did regarding the commission of the crime under...

Based on Court Decisions What Can an Investigator Say During an Interrogation?

May 01, 2024

In one of our prior Investigator Tips, Interrogation and Confession Judicial Decisions Organized by Subject Matter, we included a section entitled, Court decisions re appropriate/permissible investigator statements. Here are a few...

Interrogation of Hamas-Inspired Terrorists

Dec 19, 2023

During his Congressional testimony on December 5, 2023, FBI Director Christopher Wray stated “Given the steady drumbeat of calls for attacks by foreign terrorist organizations since October 7, we’re working around the...

Persuasion Tactics for Migrants Committing Crimes

Nov 07, 2023

According to Customs and Border Protection (CBP), “There were more than 2.8 million migrant encounters from January through August, 2023.” (USA Today, September 30, 2023).

Furthermore, CBP Chief Raul Ortiz said there...

Reid Policy on the Use of Deception During an Interrogation

Jun 26, 2023

Reid Policy on the Use of Deception During an Interrogation

Preface

There is a distinction between a court of law and the court of public opinion. In recent years several states have...

The Truth About the Research Social Psychologists Use as the Basis for Testimony Regarding False and/or Coerced Confessions

Mar 06, 2023

The Truth About the Research Social Psychologists Use as the Basis for Testimony regarding False and/or Coerced Confessions

Social Psychologists, Defense Attorneys, Academicians, and Law Enforcement interrogation critics oftentimes refer to research...

Benefits of Complimenting a Suspect During the Interrogation

Jan 15, 2023

There are many elements that lead to a successful interrogation. One such element is the level of rapport and trust the investigator can develop with the suspect. One way to develop rapport...

Investigator’s Response to a Subject’s Challenges During Interviews and Interrogations

Oct 14, 2022

This article is a follow-up to last month’s “Investigator Tip” which discussed how an investigator’s own bearing and demeanor may affect the outcome of an investigative interview or interrogation. This article expands...

Investigators' Demeanor During Interviews and Interrogations

Aug 10, 2022

This article explores how an investigator's own bearing and emotional self-control promote mutuality of respect with even the toughest of subjects and enhance the productivity of every questioning session.

The ability...

Principles of Practice: How to Conduct Proper Investigative Interviews and Interrogations

Apr 25, 2022

Principles of Practice: How to Conduct Proper Investigative Interviews and Interrogations

Since 1947 John E. Reid and Associates has been conducting investigative interviews and when appropriate, interrogations.

Since the mid 1970's we...

Resistance to Elicitation and Interrogation

Mar 25, 2022

APA Magazine, January/February, 2022, Vol. 55.1; reprint courtesy of American Polygraph Association, copyright reserved

In order to maintain their cover, particularly during deployment, Intelligence Officers and Special Operations Forces must always be...

Conducting Effective Interviews and Interrogations

Jan 26, 2022

The following are guidelines, procedures and best practices that all investigators should follow:

[Absent a life-saving circumstance conduct an interview before an interrogation.]

The Essential Elements of the Investigative Interview

Over 30 Free Reid Video Presentations

Jan 24, 2022

Below you will find over 30 helpful video tips on our YouTube page now organized in 6 Playlists:

1. Who are We and What is The Reid Technique

Blame the Suspect’s Perception of the Victim’s Actions and Behavior in Sexual Assault Interrogations

Aug 25, 2021

One of the fundamental principles of Theme Development, (Step 2 of the Reid Nine-Steps of Interrogation), is to shift the blame for the suspect’s criminal behavior to someone or something other than...

False Confessions: The Issues to be Considered

Jun 01, 2021

False Confessions – The Issues to be Considered

In this document we discuss the primary causes of and contributing factors to false confessions, and the Best Practices to follow to...

Understanding the Criminal Mind

Mar 31, 2021

Understanding The Criminal Mind

The courts have demonstrated an understanding that there must be a balance between a criminal suspect’s desire to avoid punishment for the crimes they commit by denying...

25 Reid Video Tips

Jan 11, 2021

September October 2020 Investigator Tip

The September/October 2020 Investigator Tip provides you with links to 25 brief video presentations from our YouTube channel - The Reid Technique Tips, that...

The foundation for all efffective interrogation techniques - projection and rationalization

Jan 11, 2021

As a youngster we have all had the experience of hitting one of our siblings, and then when questioned by our parents we justified our actions by saying, “he hit me first.”...