Investigator Tips

Current Investigator Tip

What Do False Confession Experts Say in Their Reports?

Nov 28, 2023

The following represents the type of observations, assessments and opinions Dr. Richard Leo (and other social psychologists) offer/include in their reports and testimony when they are acting on behalf of the defendant...

Previous Tips

The Reid Technique: A Position Paper

May 01, 2015


The Reid Technique: A Position Paper

Content

Core PrinciplesBest PracticesResponses to Criticisms The Courts’ View of False Confession ExpertsThe Courts’ View of the Reid TechniqueThe Best Way to Guard Against False...

Empathy Guides the Investigator to the Truth

Mar 01, 2015

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will...

Interrogation Tactics Involving a Written Report

Jan 01, 2015

The interrogation of a criminal suspect is designed to persuade a suspect, who is believed to be guilty of a crime, to tell the truth. To be effective, the investigator's persuasive arguments...

The Importance of Evaluating Consequences

Nov 01, 2014

During the course of an investigation, and especially at the interview stage, there are a number of questions the investigator would like to answer about the suspect and the crime he may...

Leaving The Room During an Interrogation

Sep 01, 2014

We see it all the time on television cop shows. The investigator is interrogating a suspect and the suspect offers a strong denial. The investigator gets out of his chair and says...

The Reid Behavior Analysis Interview

Jul 01, 2014

The Reid Behavior Analysis Interview

A recent article offered the following description of the Reid Behavior Analysis Interview, "The purpose of the interview is to provide a means by which investigators...

An Update on the Use of Deceptive Practices During Interrogation

May 01, 2014

An Update on the Use of Deceptive Practices During Interrogation
The landmark US Supreme Court decision addressing deceptive practices during an interrogation is Frazier v. Cupp (1969). In Frazier, the Court upheld...

Research Reveals Insight on Juvenile Interrogations and Confessions

Mar 01, 2014

It is well accepted that juvenile suspects are more susceptible to falsely confess than adult suspects. This has been documented by a number of high profile cases such as the attack of...

Addressing the Suspect's Behavior

Jan 01, 2014

It is human nature to cite a person's behavior as evidence to support some underlying premise. It is an enticing argument to state that because one exhibits an observable behavior it is...

The Bait Question in the Age of Computer Technology

Nov 01, 2013

The bait question is one of the oldest behavior provoking questions. It is a specialized question designed to introduce the possibility of incriminating evidence during an interview in an effort to entice...

The Use of Third Person Themes

Sep 01, 2013

I have had the honor of training many students during their studies at Reid College. Following graduation most of them went on to have very successful careers in the private sector, law...

A Quick Guide to Best Practices for THE REID NINE STEPS OF INTERROGATION®

Jul 01, 2013

Within any established procedure (medical, therapeutic, manufacturing, education, engineering, etc.) there are optimum or ideal conditions under which the probability of success is maximized. These optimum procedures are called "best practices." Because...

Establishing Rapport with a Suspect

May 20, 2013

We all know someone whom we respect and admire. It may be a teacher, coach, pastor, scout master, friend or parent. Assume that we committed a crime of some sort and this...

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...

The Feasibility of an Analytic Assessment to Identify False Confessions

Nov 01, 2012

The medical, psychiatric and therapy communities have a long history of using diagnostic "checklists" to evaluate the presence or absence of physiological or mental disease or degree of impairment. These analytic assessments...

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...

To Lie or Not to Lie: The Use of Deception During an Interrogation

May 01, 2012

If the agents involved in the recent Colombia incident are interrogated, should the investigators tell them they have evidence that they don't really have? It depends on a number of considerations.

The Importance of Context Within Behavior Symptom Analysis

Mar 01, 2012

Consider the following written note left for my son: "Ryan, call Mom's cell." If the note was written this year, he would dial her mobile phone number. However, if the note was...