Use the PEACE
process of interviewing
The officer carrying out the interview should establish
a rapport with the witness first so that they are
relaxed and then allow them to report what happened
(in their own words) – followed by more directed
questions based on information you know about the
crime (to check if their account is consistent with
evidence already collected).
The five steps should help make a witness more comfortable and therefore put them in a position to remember more information about the crime.
Use cognitive
interview technique
Officers should use cognitive interview – particularly
the techniques of recalling everything before getting
the witness to remember the context in which the
crime took place so that these environmental cues can
help them remember more details about the crime.
Memon and Higham’s research suggests use of cognitive interview technique is more effective (especially context reinstatement).
Take witnesses back
to the crime scene to
establish context
Carrying out a crime reconstruction with the witness
present, could help them recall features of the crime
that they had previously forgotten. They should be
taken back to the crime scene and asked to describe
what they were doing at the time, etc.
Grant et al – memory better when environmental context
matches
