Interviews and Interrogations Policy

Interviews and Interrogations Policy In the world of security, interviews, and interrogations play a key role in solving a case or putting a face to a crime committed. They can be similar but they also have several differences. Interviews and interrogations also come with legal issues because of the way they are conducted. Putting a security policy in place within the organization can help guide security personnel when conducting interviews and interrogations. Interviews and Interrogations

Security interviews and interrogations are a way to gather information and facts regarding a case. They both use forms of conversation to attain the most information from the person they are talking to. Establishing a relationship on some level will help both an interview and interrogation. There are major differences between interviews and interrogations. Interviews and interrogations are two very different things. Suspects are interrogated; witnesses are interviewed (Stephens, (n. d. ). Interviews Interviews are informal meetings with a person to gain information regarding a case.

The person being interviewed should feel relaxed in order to be open and willingly give information that will help the security officer on the case. They should take place as soon as possible so the details are fresh in the person’s memory and an outside party cannot sway their thoughts. Interviews are used when talking to victims, witnesses, and family members or friends. People being interviewed are normally open and willing to give information regarding the case or personnel under question if they do not believe they are being threatened or intimidated.

People being interviewed can help the security personnel gain insight and key details to piece together the bigger puzzle or possibly solving the crime. Respect, truthfulness, and an open-ended conversation should get the interview going in a positive direction and allow the interviewee a chance to express openly and share what they know. Interviews can turn into an interrogation at anytime if the security personnel feels that the person being interviewed has a role in the crime or is gives another reason for doubts. Interrogations

Interrogations are used to gain a confession or attain details from a suspect regarding a crime. Interrogations use an accusatory tone by the interrogator to obtain a confession and can be perceived as hostile. Personnel being interrogated are usually unwilling to give information they know. Interrogators can use persuasion, confrontational tactics, and empathy to procure a confession from the perpetrator or attain more information about the crime. “Each interrogation is a two-way process in which the subjects are also reading the interrogator.

They will read opportunity if they sense any discomfort on the interviewer’s part. Therefore, within the legal limits of what is permissible, everything about the interrogation, including the timing, should be set up to give the interviewer the upper hand and to make the subject feel at a disadvantage (McDonough, 2005). The Miranda Rights must be read before beginning an interrogation to use the information given in court and to give the person being interrogated a chance at having a lawyer present. Legal Issues

Coercing a confession or using forms of trickery during an interrogation can cause issues in a trial. There is a fine line between pressing for a confession when they know the truth and pressing for a confession when they are shooting from the hip. They need to have a fairly certain belief that the person in question is at fault in some way or form before hard pressing him or her for a confession. Telling a suspect that if they confess they are free to go or to show a suspect a false report of any kind trying to implicate the suspect is also ways of falsely trying to coerce a confession.

Another legal issue that could arise during an interview or interrogation is if the Miranda rights are not read or broken any time after they are read and not having a written waiver of rights. Detaining someone for an unreasonable amount of time or without reason is also frowned upon. Another legal issue can happen if security personnel questions a juvenile without their parent or legal guardian present. Security Policy for conducting Interviews and interrogations The first step before you start an interview or interrogation is to know the situation.

Whoever will be asking the questions need to know what they are going to ask before they even get into the room. You need to do your research on the subject and the situation that the suspect/witness have found themselves in. When conducting interviews and interrogation you will not work alone. The main person conducting the interview and interrogation will always make sure there is someone present with them when they are asking questions. This is to ensure that you have a witness to your questions and actions at all times. There will be a video camera and listening device (if available) during the interview and interrogation process.

Even if the interview or interrogation is being recorded, you should keep notes at all times. These notes will help if there is a glitch in the recording or the video and be able to quickly ask any follow-up questions at the end without reviewing the tape. At the end of the interview or interrogation, your main goal is to get a sworn written statement of what happened and why there was a security violation. Interview The purpose of an interview is to discover certain information about different things. Each situation is different! That is why you need to know the situation before you go into the interview.

In most interviews the facts have not came out yet. You are trying to discover the facts from the suspect or witness. During the interview, the setting of the room needs to remain calm so the interview can continue to move forward. The purpose of the interview is to find the facts, so ask questions that will lead to getting the correct facts. When interviewing people, they are not always the main suspects, so do not treat them as if they are. Keep them talking until the facts are found. Once you have the facts, then begins the interrogation phase. Interrogation

The purpose of an interrogation is to find what happened and who had what role in the crime committed. You already have most of the facts so then you want to find out who did it. If you have the main suspect in the interrogation room you are working on getting them to confess to the security violation they committed. You need to gather your thoughts and prepare yourself before you enter the room and begin the interrogation. The setting in interrogations is strict, authoritative, and formal. You will be making accusations but do not coerce the suspect into a confession; it may fall through later in court.

You have the facts so you can accuse the suspect of what you think they did. Continue talking to them about the situation. By continuing to talk to them and asking them the right question they will usually slip and tell you the truth. Once the truth is revealed and you have the right suspect, you need them to write down what happened in a sworn statement. Once the sworn statement is filled out, you hold the suspect or book them. Conclusion An investigator is often faced with a wide range of information when planning and conducting a suspect interview, such as statements from witnesses and victims, technical evidence (e. . DNA, fingerprints), information regarding the arrest and custody and ‘soft’ information (e. g. rumors, tips from informers) (Hakkanen 2009). Even with all this information, sometimes catching the right person is a challenge. With the right questions asked to the right people, either in an interview or interrogation setting, you usually can find out the right answers. Be sure to always withhold yourself to high standards so that your integrity and actions are not questioned after a security interview or interrogation, and the case is not jeopardized.