POLICE INTERVIEWING - Crim 1120 [003]: Introduction to Policing

Flashcards designed to help understand key concepts and terminology related to police interviewing and interrogation techniques.

Police Interviewing

The process by which police gather information from individuals, which includes police interrogations as one form.

Effective Interviewing

A skill that requires training, experience, knowledge of law, and interpersonal skills.

Interview Room Characteristics

Must minimize distractions, with no windows, plain walls, adequate seating, and minimal space.

Admissible Statements

Statements obtained from accused persons that can be used as evidence in court.

False Confessions

Confessions made by individuals that are not true, which police aim to avoid.

Voluntary False Confession

A false confession made without police coercion, often driven by internal pressures.

Coerced-Complaint False Confession

A false confession made under police coercion, aimed at stopping an unpleasant interrogation.

Coerced-Internalized False Confession

A false confession made by an individual who temporarily believes they committed the offense due to aggressive interrogation tactics.

Reasons for False Confessions

Includes excessive deception, long interrogations, and leading questions among other factors.

PEACE Method

A method of interrogation that emphasizes preparation, engagement, account, closure, and evaluation without coercion.

Interrogation Tactics

Strategies utilized during an interrogation, including pre-interrogation, interpersonal, and questioning tactics.

Evidence and Confessions

The amount of evidence available is a primary factor influencing a suspect's decision to confess.

Interpersonal Tactics

Skills used to build rapport during an interrogation, such as compassion, empathy, and active listening.

Questioning Tactics

Techniques for asking questions during an interrogation, including the use of open-ended and closed probing questions.

Closure in Interrogation

The process of summarizing what the suspect said, resolving misunderstandings, and explaining future steps.

Evaluate in Interrogation

Assessment of the information provided by the suspect after the interrogation has concluded.