CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW - TRAINING KEY NUMBER 269

• NCJ Number: 57565
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 6 pages
• Corporate Author: International Assoc of Chiefs of Police
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE WITNESS' ACCOUNT IS VALUABLE IN A CRIMINAL PROCEEDING; IT IS THEREFORE IMPORTANT FOR POLICE TO CONDUCT THE WITNESS INTERVIEW CAREFULLY AND EFFECTIVELY.

Abstract

POLICE OFFICERS INTERVIEW A WIDE VARIETY OF PERSONS DURING THEIR CAREERS AND THEREFORE MUST BE ABLE TO ADAPT GENERAL INTERVIEWING SKILLS TO MEET SPECIFIC SITUATIONS. THEY MUST LEARN THE TECHNIQUES AND PRINCIPLES OF RAPPORT (THIS CAN BE ESTABLISHED BY GAINING THE CONFIDENCE OF WITNESSES THROUGH EXPRESSING CONCERN FOR THEIR WELL-BEING, DISPLAYING SELF-CONFIDENCE, AND AVOIDING VISIBLE PREJUDICES), PERSONAL INTEREST (OFFICERS MUST SHOW GENUINE CONCERN FOR THE WELFARE OF THE WITNESS AND A KNOWLEDGE OF THE CRIME), AND ATTENTIVENESS (THE OFFICER SHOULD LISTEN CAREFULLY TO THE WITNESS' ACCOUNT, BUT SHOULD AVOID GIVING CLUES AS TO WHICH INFORMATION IS MOST IMPORTANT SO THAT THE WITNESS WILL NOT BE ENCOURAGED TO DISTORT THE ACCOUNT AND SHOULD BE ALERT TO SUBJECTS THE WITNESS WANTS TO AVOID). OFFICERS SHOULD KNOW HOW TO CHANGE TOPICS OF CONVERSATION IN AN INTERVIEW TO OBTAIN AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE IN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME, AND BE SKILLED IN RELIEVING ANXIETY. OFFICERS MUST BE IN COMMAND OF THEIR EMOTIONS IN ORDER TO BE IN CONTROL OF THE INTERVIEW. DURING THE INITIAL QUESTIONING, THE OFFICER SHOULD ENCOURAGE THE WITNESS TO SUPPLY INFORMATION OF ANY TYPE. STRUCTURED QUESTIONS THEN MUST BE ASKED TO OBTAIN PERSONAL INFORMATION (INCLUDING THE WITNESS'S NAME, ADDRESS, AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS) AND DATA ON THE WITNESS' AGE AND EDUCATIONAL AND INTELLIGENCE LEVELS. THE LOCATION OF THE INTERVIEW DEPENDS ON THE TYPE OF WITNESS INVOLVED. THE OFFICER SHOULD TRY TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN DISCREPANCIES IN THE STORY AND DELIBERATE FALSEHOODS. IN SOME CASES, A WRITTEN STATEMENT IS HELPFUL. A RECORDING OF THE INTERVIEW IS USUALLY MADE, WITH THE WITNESS' PERMISSION. THE WITNESS SHOULD BE INSTRUCTED TO TAKE NOTES ON THE TIME AND DATE OF THE INTERVIEW, IN THE EVENT THAT TRIAL TESTIMONY IS NECESSARY, AND BE INFORMED OF HIS RIGHTS AND OF THE OFFICER'S NAME AND TELEPHONE NUMBER. (STB)