Effective Ways of Interviewing Criminals

Abstract

Interviewing criminals is recently considered as a most effective technique in order to reduce the crime. Interview usually takes place before starting any investigation and interrogation because it is generally assisted investigator to gather most of the information from the suspect. This paper aims at discussing the importance of interviewing in police department. It has highlighted different effective ways of conducting interview. The role of interviewers and their qualification are also discussed.

Table of Content

Abstractii

Introduction5

Discussion6

Interviewing Techniques6

Narrative Technique6

Reid Technique7

Bluff Technique7

Attitude, Qualification, and General Conduct of the Interviewer7

Interviewer Qualification8

Interviewer behaviour during an interview8

Initial Interview Approaches9

Assumption of guilt9

Assumption of innocence9

Assumption of Neutral Position10

Successful Interviewing Steps10

Acquiring and Assessing Factual Information10

The Interview Room and its Privacy11

Establish Bond with the Suspect12

Interviewing Questioning Concerns12

Do not upset the Suspect13

Praise the Suspect's Ego13

Ask About Possible Excuses14

Recognizing Deception14

Important Facts and Tips14

Approaches for the complicated Suspects15

Nervous Suspect15

Angry Suspect15

Narcissistic Suspect15

Conclusion16

Effective Ways of Interviewing Criminals

Introduction

This paper will explain the purpose of interview and different approaches of interview. Moreover, the paper will be explaining the attitude, qualification, and general conduct of the interviewer. The steps that make an interview successful are enlightened comprehensively in this paper.

Interview and interrogation are two different practices. Interview is used to collect information whereas interrogation is used only to obtain an acknowledgement of guilt (Gordan & Fleisher, 2011). According to Inbau et.al (2004) Interview is generally taken place at the start of an investigation and before the interrogation of criminal. The motive of conducting an interview is to gather information preferably face-to-face. Furthermore, the suspect feels more convenient in talking with the interviewer.

Interview is a non accusatory communication between interviewer and criminal. Even if the investigator knows that the suspect is guilty he should not be having an accusatory behaviour. By having this, no accusatory behaviour interviewer can build a much better relationship with the criminal in order to gather maximum information which will help in an interrogation after the interview (Inbau et.al, 2004).

Inbau et.al (2004) emphasise the importance of interview as, interviewer can find out whether suspect is hiding facts, telling truth or lying with the help of suspect's responses during interview. Posture, facial Expression, eye contact and word choice are some responses. So interviewer should ask questions in the way that suspect responds with his/her expressions. Inbau et.al (2004) mentioned in book that the interview can be carried out in different Locations. The best location is a room assigned for that motive. Other locations include a home, Office, back seat of a car, street corner etc… wherever it is suitable to ask questions.

According to Inbau et.al (2004), interviews are mostly unstructured even though the interviewer is prepared with the list of topics to be covered in interview but the suspect's responses may vary the interviewer to ask questions which he didn't prepare. Interviewer must make sure that he is preparing notes. The benefit of taking notes is to secure information from lost (Inbau et.al, 2004).

The successful traits for interviewers are communication, empathy, and professionalism. All these traits should be combined in order ...