- What will you do in preparation for this interview? What background information will you want to collect? Who will you want to interview before bringing him in for his interview/interrogation? What considerations will be given to the time/date/location to the interview room?
To prepare for the interview, I will set up my interview objectives which include examining available evidence such as the scene examination, the witness statements, the exhibits and other available supporting documents. I will also take the pertinent extracts from the reports and witness statements to aid in my plan. I will prepare a timeline to help with the interview planning because the case involves multiple witnesses. I will also look at the probable defences and look for a way of handling them during the interview . I will then scrutinize the profile of the suspect to be sure I do not miss any identity factors including any relationship with the complainant and his routines. I also find it important to check the current state of the suspect by talking to officers who have been in contact with Mr Norad recently to determine his emotional state and make sure he is not under distress, trauma and shock, especially considering this would be his first criminal offence if found guilty. Speaking to the relevant officers will also let me know of his physical state and determine whether the interview should be postponed.
To cover the basics of what happened I will have to question the complainant and the witnesses of the incidence who include the officers who reported to the scene of the crime. Witnesses can help to corroborate or refute the reporter’s account of what happened and shed light on some of the details that the reporter may not have been able or willing to furnish. I will also question individuals who heard about what happened from the complainants and the civilian witnesses.
The location of the interview has to be a formal setting so the interview room at the police station will suffice. If the room is occupied, we will use my office to interview him. I will budget my time to accommodate at least four hours of interview time because ‘chances of obtaining a confession increase about 25% for each hour of interrogation up to four hours’(Hoffman 7).I will put a ‘do not disturb’ sign, ensure my phone is off, ask him to turn off his phone and make sure that the room has no distractions. I will also ensure potential weapons such as scissors and staplers are kept out of reach.
- How will you get Mr Norad into your office for the interview? Will it require you to read him his Miranda Warnings? Will you have him picked up for questioning or simply call him and ask him to come in? You will need to detail this process and explain your thought process.
I will call Mr Norad and ask him to come for questioning because it will show him that I trust him enough to bring himself down to the station. The moment Mr Norad arrives at the station, I would personally escort him to my office. I will be demeanour will be friendly where I will shake his hand and engage in light conversation such as the weather and insert a joke or two in the conversation As I lead him to the interview room, I will be keen in listening to the questions he asks me especially pertaining the case because naturally, he would be curious to learn about what I know concerning the case. He was likely thinking about the case and possible questions that I would ask him. The questions asked could a sign of a guilty conscience
As soon as we get to my office, I will turn on my video camera and have him seated. I will then inform him that the interview has begun but before I ask any questions, I will read him his Miranda rights because it is my legal obligation to do so and he needs to be aware of the legal implications of his statements. The Miranda warning is also important to avoid suppression of any statement Mr Norad makes as his statements would not be admissible in court without the warning.
- How will you attempt to build rapport with Mr Norad? What information will you want to obtain from him so if needed could be used as a theme or interview rationalization to get Mr Norad to confess to the crime? What are some themes (stories, rationalizations…etc) you will use based upon the information provided?
To build a good rapport with Mr Norad, I will be friendly and engage in casual conversation before the interview. I will ensure that there is comfortable seating placed in a way to ensure face to face contact and offer him a beverage and food and inform him of the availability of a bathroom whenever he needs it. During the interview, my behaviour and appearance will be calm and none aggressive and would ensure Mr Norad is aware that I am there to seek the truth and not accuse him of any crime. Setting a calm environment will enable the establishment of a positive relationship between the suspect and I that creates room for openness and trust which can lead towards the making of a statement and even a confession. I will avoid standing over the suspect and walking around as makes the suspect uncomfortable. I will also ensure there is only one interviewer in the room because multiple interviewers denote oppression, which should be avoided.
My main goal during interrogating Mr Norad will be to get him to confess to the crime. Since the process might be complex, there are strategies I will use in theme selection which include facts of the case and motive, my training, my experiences in similar cases, my intuition and most importantly, the statements made by Mr Norad during the interrogation. Some stories I would use include; ‘Buddy, I think you acted out of distress due to your current financial circumstance. I do not think you are the sort of man who likes engaging in such criminal behavior. I think you were trying to provide for your wife and two small children when you were fired. Since you care about your family and you would not want them to suffer, you acted out of desperation. ’ another example ‘Everybody has taken something that is not theirs at some point of their life. You just got into somebody’s house and took a few things that they probably do not even miss. It is not even that big of a deal.’
- Describe the different types of interview questions and how you will use each one during the interview/interrogation of Mr Norad? Which ones will you start with and how will you transition into another question type if needed (open-ended into closed-ended…etc)?
I will incorporate different types of questions which will all be short, simple and in a clear formal language. There are five question types which include open-ended questions which use vocabulary such as ‘explain’ and ‘describe’. Open-ended questions are useful at the start of the interview as they allow for a comprehensive and unlimited account without my influence. Such questions do not need interruption while the suspect is narrating the account. For instance, I would ask Mr Narod to explain where he was the morning the crime took place. The second type is close-ended questions such as ‘when did this happen’ and ‘who did that’. Close-ended question will accord me more control of the interview and the ability to elicit information that the suspect will not have provided while answering open-ended questions. I will also use these questions to elucidate and extend the account obtained using the open-ended questions, cover information that might have not been addressed and even challenge the account given previously. Closed-ended questions, however, have the challenge of restricting the suspect’s account. The third type of question is forced-choice questions which restrict he suspects possible response for instance, ‘Did you take the cash and jewelry?’ Fourthly, multiple questions which involve asking the suspect various questions at the same time, for instance, example ‘Did you break in the house?’ ‘Why did you take the jewelry?’ ‘Why did you flee the scene of the crime?’ Lastly, leading questions which will be my last resort because they are less credible and can be ruled as admissible. I would start with open-ended questions as I would want Mr Narod to give his account of the event of the night before transitioning to close-ended questions if there is an unclear detail he has given before finally using leading questions as a last resort
- What are the types of interview approaches that COULD be used on Mr Norad? Explain each one and then describe which one will you start with and why?
The type of interview approach depends on the investigator and what he has learnt about the suspect. They include cognitive interviewing which focuses on the suspect’s ability to tell a constant story. The interviewee can ask the suspect to retell the account of events in reverse order, that is from the end to the beginning which will be hard to do if the suspect is lying. Secondly is the use of assumptive questions where the investigator uses questions intending to obtain a verbal confession. The questions include choice questions such as ‘Did you intend to steal the cash and jewelry or did your circumstances force you into it?’ Assumptive questions also include soft accusation questions like ‘Is this your first time stealing?’ The third approach is the Reid technique which uses an accusative approach. The approach begins with a monologue but the suspect is deterred from giving any explanations and giving details. The interviewer examines the responses and uses them to pry for more details about the case. After obtaining enough information, the investigator will direct his questions to two scenarios with one being more morally problematic than the other and the suspect makes a choice. the Reid technique is a persistent way of interrogation and even though it is upheld in courts, it can lead to false confessions and an investigator has to be careful of this. The fourth technique is kinesic interviewing where the interviewer assesses verbal and non-verbal cues from the suspect to determine the suspect’s truthfulness. The method is divided into detection and interrogation and during the process, the investigator looks for detachment between the suspect’s words and actions. The fifth technique is a direct accusation which is most suitable in instances where there is substantial evidence linking the suspect to the crime. The interview will begin with the interviewer informing the suspect that the interrogation is beginning and inform the suspect that there is overwhelming evidence tying the suspect to the crime. if the suspect denies involvement, the interviewer will re-accuse the suspect and provide rationalizations for the crime. I will simultaneously use the kinesic and Reid technique because Mr.Norad does not have any criminal background.
Work Cited
Hoffman, Christopher. Investigative Interviewing: Strategies and Techniques.2005 https://www.ifpo.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/interviewing.pdf Accessed 13 July 2020