Responding to a False Confession Expert in Your Case

Apr 09, 2024

Oftentimes the defense will present a "false confession expert” to testify that the investigator obtained a coerced and/or false confession. We have published a number of articles describing the type of statements...

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...

The Pre-employment Interview: Creating an Environment Conducive to Truth Telling

Feb 09, 2022

In our November/December Investigator Tip, “The Biggest Mistake We Make When Interviewing Job Applicants,” we discussed the most effective way to develop an accurate reconstruction of an applicant’s work history, including any...

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

The Biggest Mistake We Make When Interviewing Job Applicants

Nov 22, 2021

In today's environment we are all experiencing some difficulty in finding people to staff the open employment positions in our organization. In fact, just recently the Wall Street Journal published an article...

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...

Do Not Tell the Subject What You Know

Jun 25, 2021

One of the most important principles of effective interviewing is to not tell the subject what you know about the details of the case, such as the information that you have developed...

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...

Parental Abuse Interviews in Human Trafficking Investigations

Feb 03, 2021

Among the interviewing challenges faced by human trafficking investigators is the issue of parental abuse of a trafficking victim. How does an investigator approach this topic?

When suspicion arises that the...

The Use of the Baiting Technique

Jan 11, 2021

November / December 2020

(Please Note: If you wish to print and share an Investigator Tip with your colleagues, the John E. Reid 'credit and permission' statement following the article...

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.”...

What questions should I ask during the investigative interview?

May 26, 2020

What questions should I ask during the investigative interview?

In an effort to assist investigators in determining the type of investigative and behavior provoking questions to ask during an interview...

Telephone Interviewing Techniques Part Two

Mar 01, 2020

March/April 2020

(Please Note: If you wish to print and share an Investigator Tip with your colleagues, the John E. Reid 'credit and permission' statement following the article must be...

Telephone Interviewing Techniques Part One

Jan 01, 2020

Telephone Interviewing Techniques Part One

Certainly the ideal circumstance for an investigative interview is a face-to-face meeting with the subject. However, due to a variety of factors, it is becoming more and...

Personality Disorders

Sep 01, 2019

(This Investigator Tip consists of selections from a chapter in our book, The Investigator Anthology)

While both psychologically healthy and psychologically impaired individuals can be guilty of a crime, in many...

What Questions Should be Asked to Determine the Voluntariness and Validity of a Subject’s Confession?

Aug 01, 2019

While there are numerous issues to consider in the process of evaluating the voluntariness and validity of a subject’s confession, the following questions may be helpful in making such an assessment.

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