SEMINAR 1
Ethical Practices in Investigative Interviewing
3 days
Three day outline.
Day 1 - Historical perspective of investigative interviewing.
- Detection of validity and deception in non-verbal and verbal communication.
- Group exercise in non-verbal communication.
- Cognitive interviewing with demonstration.
Day 2 - The P.E.A.C.E. model - Preparation, Engage and explain, Account, Closure, Evaluate.
- Formulating questions to follow up the account.
- Providing the opportunity for the interviewee to explain evidence.
- Practicum - team exercises in P.E.A.C.E.
Day 3 - Complete and review team exercises.
- Review three days.
Course includes handouts, lecture, video, examples, and team exercises.
Ethical Practices in Investigative Interviewing is offered as an in-house program only. For in-house options visit “in-house” under the heading ‘Programs and Schedule’ on the home page.
Profile of the Successful Interviewer
Outlines the 6 basic characteristics: integrity, intuitiveness, flexibility, resourcefulness, skill diversity, and preparation. The investigative interviewer needs to balance compassion and rapport with control, personal boundaries, and healthy skepticism.
Systematic Investigative Method
Strategic thinking is rooted in a method. The P.E.A.C.E. model provides a comprehensive approach to the interview with Planning & Preparation, Engage & Explain, Account, Closure and Evaluation. With P.E.A.C.E. the interviewer can guide the subject towards the objective. Without a strategy the interviewer can lose both control and a desired outcome.
Interviewee Assessment
The OPTICS Principle
Eliciting openness begins with accelerated familiarity, often with a complete stranger. There are seven factors which effect interviewer’s ability to establish intimate knowledge of the subject’s stress and internal conflict – Observation skills, Perceived risk, Time, Interaction, Context, and Sophistication.
Stereotyping behaviour or character traits, typical of many investigative training programs, predisposes the interviewer to narrow their focus, setting up biases that act like blindfolds. Assessing interviewees begins with confronting counterproductive assumptions and dispelling myths that impair flexible approaches to the uniqueness of individuals and contexts. Intense observation will reveal micro-behavioural indicators of internal conflict and linguistic indicators of validity and/or deception despite the subject’s efforts to mask stress and edit information. Robustness of non-verbal communication and open dialogue will depend on the degree of risk for the interviewee and the importance of outcomes for both parties. Integrity, preparation and flexibility will play key roles in building a unique path toward disclosure. You may not be able to compel others to talk but you can be compelling interviewer.
Controlling the Process
During the live interview, non-verbal communication influences the direction and outcome of the process, while post- analysis of uncontaminated statements ascertain credibility. The investigator’s success depends not only on the ability to respond to the content of dialogue, but to the linguistic and non-verbal processes as well. Responding on many levels generates unconscious bonding, maintains control, and accelerates the subject toward full disclosure. Resistance is viewed as a challenge to our flexibility and ingenuity.
Cooperative Interviewing
Cooperative interviewing is the essential first step in the investigative process. This information-gathering phase can be significantly improved with proper cognitive techniques that increase the amount of detail and accuracy of recall from witnesses, victims, informants and suspects. Good methodolgies reduce confusion and stress for both the interviewer and interviewee. During the cooperative phase the interviewer uses ambiguous and unadulterated language, rapport skills that encourage openness, and time to calibrate the subject’s idiosyncrasies. An effective cooperative approach diminishes the potential for adversarial conflict between the interviewer and subject and encourages the subject toward resolution of stressful internal conflicts.
Evaluating the Subject
Establishing the credibility of the subject will determine whether the process needs to be extended with a detailed enquiry, collateral checks or further interviews. Evaluation of verbal and non-verbal behaviour has evolved into an articulate conscious set of processes.
