Investigator Tips
Interviewing
Having A Third Person in the Interview Room
Mar 05, 2013
Having A Third Person in the Interview Room
Privacy is considered the single most important psychological factor contributing to the success of an interview or interrogation. This is something we each...
Evaluating Admissions Against Self-Interest
Jan 15, 2013
It is not uncommon for suspects to make admissions against self-interest during an interview. They may acknowledge being in the area of the crime, having a motive to commit the crime, having...
Interview Before Interrogating
Sep 01, 2012
Throughout our seminars and textbooks The Reid Technique emphasizes the distinction between interviewing and interrogating, and the importance of conducting a non-accusatory interview before an accusatory interrogation. A recent legal decision reinforces...
Investigating Issues of Intent
Jul 01, 2012
Two recent news events have centered around a person's intentions. The first was the shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman. The second was a White house correspondent named Neil Munro who...
Word Games Deceptive Suspects Play
Nov 01, 2011
Properly socialized people do not enjoy lying. None of us invite the feelings of guilt, fear or anxiety associated with telling a lie. On the other hand, we also don't like to...
Interviewing Witnesses
May 01, 2011
A witness is anyone who possesses direct information pertinent to an investigation. Sometimes witnesses are forthcoming and fully cooperative, other times they are reluctant to get involved and occasionally they are deceitful...
Investigating Attention- Motivated Fabricated Crimes
Nov 01, 2010
Every year there are a dozen or so incidents involving fabricated crimes that make national headlines because the motive behind the reported crime fascinates the general public. Recently a woman in...
Using Baseline Behaviors to Establish "Truthful" Responses.
Sep 01, 2010
During our training seminars, participants have asked about the value of identifying a suspect's truthful behavior by asking questions to which it is known that the suspect is telling the...
Designing an Interview/Interrogation Room
Mar 01, 2010
I recently taught at a newly constructed police department. The architecture was beautiful featuring a massive open community room. The detective's work area was equally impressive with state of the art computer...
Behavior Symptom Analysis During Roadside Interviews
May 01, 2009
Many serious crimes have been solved as a result of a traffic stop or chance encounter with a police officer:* A vehicle is stopped for running a red light and it...
The Psychopathic Suspect
Mar 01, 2009
The Psychopathic Suspect
March-April, 2009
Imagine what it would be like to make everyday decisions without caring how your choices affected others and to live...
Planning A Formal Interview
Sep 01, 2008
Planning A Formal Interview
Over the last 30 years I have conducted thousands of interviews on issues ranging from employee theft to homicide. Despite...
The Use of Visual Aids During an Interview or Interrogation
Jul 01, 2008
Investigators rely extensively on their verbal communication skills to elicit information during an interview and to persuade a suspect to tell the truth during an interrogation. It is often beneficial to reinforce...
Evaluating One-On-One Allegations
May 01, 2008
One-on-one allegations are very common in criminal investigations. The accuser may be an alleged victim. The accused, of course, denies involvement and offers an explanation for the false allegation. In other situations...
Are you a good listener?
Mar 01, 2008
An investigator's ability to solve cases relies extensively on his/her ability to develop rapport, ask the right questions, identify deceptive responses and...
Conducting A Custodial Behavior Analysis Interview
Jan 01, 2008
Investigators who attend our training seminars learn the value of conducting a Behavior Analysis Interview (BAI) as a reliable means of eliminating innocent suspects and identifying the guilty suspect during the...
Guarding Against Claims of False Imprisonment
Nov 01, 2006
The concept of "false imprisonment" is usually associated with a criminal act relating to abduction or kidnapping. However, this web tip relates to false imprisonment as a civil suit. The definition varies...
Quoting Statements in an Open Account: Truthful or Deceptive?
Sep 01, 2006
Quoting Statements in an Open Account: Truthful or Deceptive?
September- October
During most interviews the investigator should develop an open, or narrative account from the subject. It is called an open...
Eliciting A Subject's Willingness to Submit to a Voluntary Interview
May 01, 2006
In most instances, subjects will agree to answer an investigator's questions if the conversation occurs at the subject's home, place of business or over the phone. From an investigative perspective, however, it...
The Use of an Interpreter During an Interview
Mar 01, 2006
A question that is frequently asked during our seminars concerns the proper use of an interpreter during an interview. This is particularly true when we train military personnel who regularly utilize translators...