Conducting Interviews and Interrogations. Presented by: Steve MacKinnon Chief of Humane Law Enforcement San Diego Humane Society

Transcription

1 Conducting Interviews and Interrogations Presented by: Steve MacKinnon Chief of Humane Law Enforcement San Diego Humane Society

2 Some Initial Thoughts This class can t replace a regular course Techniques not just for the official interview These are techniques to identify a person under stress, anxious, or possibly being untruthful Even if you see an indicator it may not be a lie Talk about Non-Verbal Indicators Talk about Verbal indicators Talk about Challenges A note about your kids

3 Challenges to Interview Tactics Category 1: Behavior The Challenge: Reading Suspect s Behavior Interview Principle: Follow the Facts Many cases don t contain the gift of a clear evidence path Avoid a narrow focus on specific individuals Investigate all viable leads If the hunch does not align with known facts, follow the facts

4 Challenges to Interview Tactics Category 2: Traits The Challenge: Identifying Personal Vulnerabilities Interview Principle: Know the Suspect Plan your interview in advance Design initial, low key questions Identify impressionable traits

5 Challenges to Interview Tactics Category 3: Statements The Challenge: Contaminating Confessions Interview Principle: Preserve the Evidence Use only open-ended questions: Tell me about, Describe for me, Explain how, What were you doing when Listen without judgment, reaction or interruption

6 Challenges to Interview Tactics Category 4: Options The Challenge: Expecting to Succeed Interview Principle: Adjust Moral Responsibility Confessions are not readily given Confessions originate with small admissions Guilty suspects seldom tell everything Suspects omit details that cast them in a harsh light Offenders confess to obtain a position that is advantageous to them

7 Challenges to Interview Tactics Category 5: Consequences The Challenge: Promising Coercive End-of-Line Benefits Interview Principle: Use Psychology vs Coercion You are allowed creativity in interviews

8 Challenges to Interview Tactics A Final Category: Personal Dignity Interview Principle: All individuals are entitled to maintaining their personal dignity and self-worth Convicted felons report they were more likely to confess to someone who treated them with respect and recognized their value as a person Being professional increases the likelihood of obtaining an admission

9 Detecting Deception A Lie: A deliberate attempt by one person to mislead another To Detect a Lie, we need to understand why lies fail. Problem: How do we know when we have caught a liar? - ERROR 1: He was lying and we missed it - ERROR 2: He wasn t lying and we said he was Speech and mannerisms will tell us what to look for

10 The Basic Premise Get a baseline when they are telling the truth What do they sound/look like when telling the truth? It is stressful to lie to the interviewer so watch for stressful indicators Typically arise 3-5 seconds after the question Look for two or more indicators when evaluating a response This is not an exact science

11 How Does a Lie Detector Work?

12 So. Let s try a little experiment

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14 Verbal Indicators Verbal part of the lie is the easiest to project Searching for the lie Get a baseline It can be rehearsed and practiced repeatedly This makes it more difficult to spot Because the subject is under stress, they will subconsciously reveal stress in certain patterns

15 Verbal Indicators - Continued No Response / Non-Response Delayed Response Repeating the Question Overly Specific / Overly Vague No Denial Protest Statements

16 Non-Verbal Indicators It s more difficult for the deceptive subject to conceal stress in Non-Verbal Indicators The anxiety of getting caught in a lie will build over time They will need to release the stress in some manner Most common way to rid this negative or nervous energy is muscle movement

17 Non-Verbal Indicators - Continued Anchor Movements (within 3-5 seconds): o Cross or uncross legs or arms o Tapping their foot o Tapping their finger o Slide one leg out in front of their body o Adjust buttocks in the chair o Reach back to scratch shoulder

18 Non-Verbal Indicators - Continued Non-Verbal Denial Only: Ask a direct question and the only response is shaking their head Escapism : Trying to create distance from the truth (and the interviewer) o Lean their head back o Lean their body back o Scoot their chair back o Shield their eyes Wringing the hands

19 In an Interview Setting what would these Pictures Say to You?

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21 . And finally