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OfflineRandolph_Carter
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Police interrogation techniques: Their view.
    #2682154 - 05/15/04 12:19 PM (20 years, 8 days ago)

Throughly jacked, i know, but i thought i'd re-post it here.
For all those who may be questioned by the police. :wink:

(bit long)

Police interrogation techniques





Police interrogation is a subject most of us would 'not want to need to
know about'. However, if you do ever find yourself in a dark, damp
room with a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling, an antiquated
tape recorder purring away, and few uniformed chaps around you who you
wouldn't exactly call your mates, you might find this interesting. The
following text details police interrogation techniques largely from
the interrogator's point of view. This way, a better understanding of
the psychology of police interrogation (what the interrogators are
thinking) is achieved.

Police investigators depend on interrogation as a principal means of
determining facts and resolving issues. Reliance on interrogation,
however, involves certain problems; ascertaining when a suspect or
witness is telling the truth, evaluating memory, allowing for the
physical and mental condition of a witness or suspect, and understanding
the problems created by the individual's perspective. Interrogation
methods and equipment have evolved in response to these problem areas.
The psychological, psychophysical, and physical sciences have all
played vital roles in police interrogation techniques.

The polygraph or lie detector is used in some countries but its use is
still controversial among psychologists and not always judicially
acceptable. Some people proclaim methods of producing a false negative
through control of their heartbeat, blood pressure and respiration.
Certainly, if a mock interrogation is carried out time and time again,
the body's physical responses to telling lies become increasingly
difficult to detect.

Why Suspects Confess

Many criminal cases, even when investigated by the most experienced
and best-qualified investigators, are ultimately solved by an
admission or confession from the person responsible for committing the
crime. Often, investigators are able to secure only a minimal amount
of evidence, be it physical or circumstantial, that points to a
suspect. In many instances this evidence is not considered strong enough
by prosecutors to obtain a conviction. In such cases the interrogation
of the suspects and their subsequent confessions are of prime
importance.

This topic addresses the question of why suspects speak freely to
investigators, and ultimately, sign full confessions. The physical and
psychological aspects of confessions and how they relate to the
successful interrogation of suspects is also discussed. Also addressed
is the moment of 'breakthrough'; the point in the interrogation when
suspects make an admission, no matter how minuscule, that begins the
process of obtaining a full confession.

Defining Interrogation

Interrogation is the questioning of a person suspected of having
committed a crime. It is designed to match acquired information to a
particular suspect in order to secure a confession. The goals of
interrogation include:

? To obtain an admission of guilt from the suspect
? To gather information that enables investigators to arrive at
  logical conclusions and thus prove guilt
? To provide information for use by the prosecutor in possible court
  action
? To obtain all the facts to determine the method of operation and the
  circumstances (how it happened) of the crime in question


On knowing the definition and objectives of the interrogation, the
question arises; 'Why do suspects confess?'. Self-condemnation and
verbal self-destruction are not normal human behavioral characteristics.
People do not ordinarily utter unsolicited, spontaneous confessions.
It is logical to assume that when suspects are taken to police stations
to be questioned concerning their involvement in a particular crime,
their immediate reaction will be a refusal to answer any questions.
With the deluge of television programs that present a clear picture of
the Miranda warning (Anything you say... etc.) and its application to
suspects, one would conclude that no one questioned about a crime
would surrender incriminating information, much less supply
investigators with a fully signed confession. It would also seem that
once suspects sense the direction in which the investigators are
heading, the conversation would immediately end. However, for various
psychological reasons, suspects continue to speak with investigators.

Suspect Paranoia

Suspects are never quite sure of exactly what information investigators
possess. They know that the police are investigating the crime, and in
many cases, suspects have followed media accounts of their crimes to
determine what leads the police have. Uppermost in their minds,
however, is how to escape detection and obtain firsthand information
about the investigation and where it is heading.
Such 'paranoia' motivates suspects to accompany the police voluntarily
for questioning. Coupled with curiosity, this paranoia motivates
suspects to appear at police headquarters as ?concerned citizens' who
have information pertinent to the case. By doing this, suspects may
attempt to supply false or non-corroborative information in order to
lead investigators astray, gain inside information concerning the case
from investigators, and remove suspicion from themselves by offering
information on the case so investigators will not suspect their
involvement.

For example, in one case a twenty-two year old woman was discovered
dead in a stairwell outside a public building. The woman had been raped
and was found naked and bludgeoned. Investigators interviewed numerous
people during the next few days but were unable to identify any
suspects. Media coverage on the case was extremely high.
Several days into the investigation a twenty-three year old man
appeared at the local police station, with two infants in tow, and
informed investigators that he believed he may have some information
regarding the woman's death. The man revealed that when he was walking
home late one evening, he passed the area where the woman was found and
observed a 'strange individual' lurking near a nearby phone booth. The
man said that because he was frightened of the stranger, he walked
straight back to his home. After reading media accounts of the girl's
death, he believed that he should tell the police what he had observed.
The man gave police a physical description of the 'stranger' and then
helped an artist to compose a sketch of the individual. After he left,
investigators discovered that the sketch bore a strong resemblance to
the 'witness' who provided the information.
After further investigation, the witness was asked to return to the
police station to answer more questions, which he did gladly. Some 15
hours into the interrogation, he confessed to one of his 'multiple
personalities' having killed the woman, who was unknown to him. He had
killed her simply because she was a woman, which is what the suspect
had always wanted to be.
This case clearly illustrates the need for some suspects (mentally
disturbed or not) to know exactly what is happening in an
investigation. In their minds, they honestly believe that by hiding
behind the guise of a person trying to help they will, without
incriminating themselves, learn more about the case from the
investigators.

The Interrogation Setting

In any discussion concerning interrogation, it is necessary to include
a review of the surroundings where a suspect is to be interrogated.
Because there is a general desire to maintain personal integrity before
family members and peer groups, suspects should be removed from
familiar surroundings and taken to a location that has an atmosphere
conducive to cooperative behavior and truthfulness. The primary
psychological factor contributing to successful interrogations is
privacy; being totally alone with suspects. This privacy prompts
suspects to feel willing to unload the burden of guilt. The
interrogation site should isolate the suspect so That only the
interrogator is present. The suspect's thoughts and responses should
be free from all outside distractions and stimuli.
The interrogation setting plays an important part in obtaining
confessions. The surroundings should reduce suspect fears and contribute
to the inclination to discuss the crime. Because fear is a direct
reinforcement for defensive mechanisms (resistance), it is important
to alleviate as many fears as possible. Therefore, the interrogation
rooms should establish a business atmosphere as opposed to a
police-like atmosphere. While drab, barren interrogation rooms increase
fear in suspects, a location that displays an open, you have nothing
to fear quality about it can do much to break down interrogation
defensiveness, thereby eliminating a major barrier. The interrogators
tend to disarm the suspects psychologically by placing them in
surroundings that are free from any fear inducing distractions.

Psychological Factors

More than likely, suspects voluntarily accompany investigators, either
in response to a police request to answer questions or in an attempt
to learn information about the investigation. Once settled in the
interrogation room, the interrogators should treat suspects in a
civilized manner, no matter how vicious or serious the crime may have
been. While interrogators may have feelings of disgust for the
suspects, the goal is to obtain a confession and it is important that
personal emotions are not be revealed.
Investigators should also adopt a compassionate attitude and attempt
to establish a rapport with suspects. In most cases, suspects commit
crimes because they believe that it offers the best solution to their
inner needs.
It is important to establish a common level of understanding with
suspects. Such an understanding is critical in persuading suspects to
be open, forthright and honest. Suspects should be persuaded to look
beyond the investigator?s badge and see instead a person who listens
without judging. If investigators are able to convince suspects that
he key issue is not the crime itself, but what motivated them to
commit the crime, they will begin to rationalize or explain their
motivating factors.
At this stage of the interrogation, investigators are on the brink of
having suspects break through remaining defensive barriers to admit
involvement in the crime. This is the critical stage of the
interrogation process commonly known as the 'breakthrough'.

The Breakthrough

The breakthrough is the point in the interrogation when suspects make
an admission, no matter how small. In spite of having been advised of
certain protections guaranteed by the law, most suspects feel a need to
confess. Both hardened criminals and first time offenders suffer from
the same pangs of conscience. This is an indication that their defense
mechanisms are diminished, and at this point, the investigators may
push through to elicit the remaining elements of the confession.
In order for interrogators to pursue a successful breakthrough, they
must recognize and understand certain background factors that are
unique to a particular suspect. Often, criminals exhibit psychological
problems that are the result of having come from homes torn by conflict
and dissension. Also frequently found in the backgrounds of criminals
are parental rejection and inconsistent and severe punishment. It is
important that investigators see beyond the person sitting before them
and realize that past experiences can impact on current behavior. Once
interrogators realize that the fear of possible punishment, coupled
with loss of pride in having to admit to committing a crime is the
basic inhibitor they must overcome in suspects, they will quickly be
able to formulate questions and analyze responses that will break
through the suspect's inhibitions.

Successful Interrogations

Investigators must conduct every interrogation in The belief that
suspects, when presented with an attractive avenue, will use it to
confess their crimes. Research indicates that most guilty persons who
confess are, from the outset, looking for The proper opening during the
interrogation to communicate their guilt to the interrogators.
Suspects confess when the internal anxiety caused by their deception
outweighs their perception of the crime's seriousness and consequences.
In most instances, suspects have magnified in their minds both the
severity of the crime and the possible repercussions. Interrogators
should allay suspect anxiety by putting these fears into perspective.
Suspects also make admissions or a confession when they believe that
cooperation is the best course of action regarding their future. If
they are convinced that officers are prepared to listen to all of the
circumstances surrounding the crime, they will begin to talk. The
psychological and physiological pressures that build in a person who
has committed a crime are the best alleviated by alleviated by
communication. In order to relieve these suppressed pressures, suspects
detail the circumstances of the crimes they confess.
Finally, suspects confess when interrogators are able to speculate
correctly on why the crimes were committed. Suspects want to know ahead
of time that interrogators will believe what they have to say and will
understand what motivated them to commit the crime.

Conclusion

It is natural for suspects to want to preserve their privacy, civil
rights and liberties. It is also natural for suspects to resist
discussing their criminal acts. For these very reasons however,
investigators must develop the skills which will enable them to remove
the defensive barriers established by suspects during interrogation.
Before suspects will confess they must feel comfortable in their
surroundings and They must have confidence in the interrogators, who
should attempt to gain this confidence by listening intently to them and
by allowing them to verbalize an account of their crime.

Interrogators who understand what motivates suspects to confess will be
better able to formulate effective questions and analyze suspect
responses. Obviously, more goes into gaining a confession than is
contained in this article. However, if the interrogator fails to
understand the motivations of the suspect, other factors impacting on
obtaining the confession will be less effective.


--------------------
"..all those molecules thrashing their kinky little tails, hot for destiny and the street."  Gibson


Nuke baby seals for Jesus!

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