5 steps for interviewing
- introduction
- Rapport
- Questions
- Summary
- Closure
What is an interview
- Conversation between two people to obtain information (fact finder)
Interpersonal skills
- Single factor affecting our communicative behavior is our self-concept
- Includes being aware of our own biases, weaknesses, and strengths
Self-concept
view of self, who we are
* Being aware of our own biases, weaknesses, and strengths
Communication
consisting of building and maintaining rapport is the foundation of an effective law enforcement interview
Formation
Experiences with others, roles that gain us desired attention or other positive responses
Importance of self-concept
- Strong self concept vs weak self concept
- Affects law enforcement performance
- Influences public perception
Rapport
- Engagement between interviewer and interviewee
- Friendliness, caring, empathy, respect
- Don’t have to like each other
Components of communication
- Active listening
- Clarity of expression
- Self-disclosure
Active listening
- Most common error is failure to listen
- People rather talk than listen
- People who are curious and interested learn more
1. Remain neutral
2. No advice
3. Don’t criticize
4. Concentrate on the speaker
Give complete attention
- Nod or shake head
- Sub vocals
- Maintain good eye contact when appropriate
- Ask for more information
- Listen for feeling and watch nonverbal
- 10% of message comes from verbal communication
- Put feeling into words
- Paraphrase
- Requires questioning and feedback
Clarity of Expression
- Relevance
- Simplicity
- Jargon
- Structure
- Repetition
- Contrast
Introduction
- Self, partner, interviewee
- Credentials
- Purpose statement
- Can you promise confidentiality
Rapport
- Begins right after purpose statement
- Establishes baseline behavior
- Conditions interviewee to talk to you
- Go back to home base
Questions
- What do you need to know
- Start with open-ended questions
- Active listening
- Witness will tell when story is over
- Follow-up with specific question
- Now tell me more
- Who, what, where, when, why ,how
- Use familiar terms- even slang
Summary
- Performed by the secondary person in the interview
- Verify and review major points
- Ask follow up questions
- Listen for discrepancies
Close
- Say thank you
- Leave door open for future contacts
- Get contact number and determine best times to call
Three types of interviews
Informal, Alibi, Confrontational
Informal
- When dealing with witnesses and victims mostly. Informal
- Find out what happened to the person or property and if a crime was committed
Alibi
- Taking suspects or potential suspects an alibi or baseline account of the location of the person at the time of the event
Confrontational
- To elicit a confession statement or admissions from a suspected person or cooperation from a reluctant witness
Whom do we interview first
Victims first
- Generally, then witnesses
- Separate and interview individually
- Human trafficking victims
1. Fear
2. Distrust
Suspects last
- Public safety
- Flight risk
- Evidence destruction
- Late or before bed
TED
Tell-
Explain
Describe
Tell me what happened , where were you when this happened ?
