Methods of Investigation, Interrogation and Evidence Gathering Event, 10.Feb.2025

Introduction

Investigative interviewing is an essential aspect of the investigative process. This course will give delegates an understanding of investigative interrogation techniques. It introduces the strategies and techniques associated with Persuasion-based, Information-gathering, and Evidence-based approaches to interrogation and employs a series of short videos to demonstrate how these techniques can be employed.

Course Objectives for Methods of Investigation, Interrogation, and Evidence Gathering

• Describe the key features of three alternative approaches to interrogation
• Identify the factors and risks when moving from an interview to an interrogation
• Practice how to conduct an interrogation effectively
• Recall the key legal obligations of the interviewer/interrogator as they relate to a suspect interview
• Describe how false confessions will affect investigations
• Understand how cognitive biases can affect a suspect interview and/or interrogation

Course Outline of Methods of Investigation, Interrogation and Evidence Gathering

Day 1

Introduction of investigative legislation, policies, procedures, and guidelines

• The principles of investigative
• The impact of legislation, policies, procedures, and guidelines in relation to information and evidence gathering activities
• Legislative obligations and their relationship to investigative interviews
• The roles, responsibilities, and characteristics of an investigative
• Evidence gathering methods including questioning techniques to collect ‘admissible’ evidence.
• Ethical questioning techniques
• The difference between information and evidence
• Planning and preparing to conduct an investigative interview
• Nonverbal behavior in engaging with the interviewee
• How memory works
• Strategies to maximize the differences between liars and truth-tellers
• Responding to challenging and unacceptable behavior

Day 2

Evidence matrix & interviewing

• The importance of the evidence matrix and interviewing about the elements of the offence
• Investigative interview guidelines 
• Witness management
• When to introduce evidence (strategic use of evidence versus tactical use of evidence)

Day 3

Practice how to conduct an interrogation effectively

• Managing other parties (support person and lawyers)
• Dealing with interviewees, fairly and legally
• Active defense techniques
• How to make clear decisions

Day 4

Five Major Steps your Investigators Must Master

• Taking the initial statement of complaint
• Taking the independent witness statements
• Interviewing the person who is accused of doing something wrong
• Recording everything in writing, in chronological order, ensuring that you omit any inadmissible statements and retain every relevant item of admissible evidence
• Preparing a file sufficient that the decision-maker(s) can make a proper, informed decision

Day 5

Cognitive biases in the suspect interview and/or interrogation

• Skills to prepare for the interrogation using behavioral information
• Deception detection skills
• Advanced knowledge of persuasion and influence
• Using interrogator behavior to control the environment, and even suspect physiology
• Identifying suspect fear and insecurity before the interrogation