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Running Head: POLICE INTERROGATION 1

POLICE INTERROGATION TACTICS 7

Police Interrogation Tactics

Lana Eliot

Psychology 610

Professor Unger

August 28, 2017

Police talk to suspects or persons of interest in different ways. They use whatever tactic they can to get the truth or a confession. Some persons are interrogated for many, many hours and finally tell the officers or detectives what they want to hear so they can just be finished or leave.

1.

Heuer, L. & Sivasubramaniam, D. (2012). Conviction of the innocent: Lessons from psychological research. pp. 79-102; Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association; 2012. xiv, 370 pp. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=ade85a86-1aea-4bd4-840d-83169eeb0382%40sessionmgr4010&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGNwaWQmY3VzdGlkPXM4ODU2ODk3JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=psyh&AN=2011-09259-004.

This article talks about how 25 % of persons or cases in which people have been wrongfully convicted, those innocent people had confessed to the crime of which they were accused of. Most of the research in this article shows there are techniques that can increase the risk that innocent suspects will falsely confess to crimes they did not do. Studies have demonstrated that particular methods used in the Reid technique can increase the risk that innocent suspects will make confessions during police interrogations, thereby placing these innocent suspects at risk of wrongful conviction. The Reid technique outlines two primary stages of interrogation: (a) the preinterrogation interview and (b) the interrogation. This article outlines how the ways the interrogators, suspects, and the community persons evaluate the justice of police interrogation procedures. There are a number of reasons to be skeptical of interrogators’ ability to accurately sort the guilty from the innocent during the preinterrogation interview. Research has shown that people trained in deception detection according to the Reid technique are more confident but less accurate in their judgments of the target’s guilt (Kassin & Fong, 1999). Investigator response bias is what police officers refer to as an exaggerated tendency to judge the target as deceptive. As routinely practiced, the pre-interrogation interview phase of the Reid technique puts suspects in danger of being judged deceptive by interrogators who are low on lie-detection accuracy, high in confidence, and biased toward judging innocent targets as deceptive. During the interrogation phase, the Reid technique is guilt presumptive; the interrogator has already confidently determined during the preinterrogation interview that the suspect is guilty. The interrogation phase provides further potential for wrongful conviction, through the use of particular confrontational interrogation tactics.

This article helps understand what techniques being used by police are easier to accomplish a confession of guilt. This article will be helpful when addressing the topic of obtaining a confession unethical tactics.

2.

Muraski, T., (11/15/2016). HOW the Police Generate False Confessions: An Inside Look at the Interrogation Room. Vol. 141 Issue 19, p100-100. 1/4p. 1 Color Photograph.

Retrieved from Academic Search Complete., http://web.a.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=a584fed0-9d5b-4106-b914-bd49ad2b9d8a%40sessionmgr4006&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGNwaWQmY3VzdGlkPXM4ODU2ODk3JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=119492654&db=a9h.

The book was written by a retired police officer to express his knowledge of how police officers are trained to interrogate persons of interest. The author, James Trainum, stated that there are definitely complications with false confessions and police interrogation techniques. He then goes on to write about the problems which arise from statements from witnesses and informants and the role played by plea bargains and mandatory sentences. After presenting a thoroughly convincing portrait of the issue, Trainum provides “a better way” forward, outlining the PEACE method. He goes on to discuss how to improve police interrogations by videotaping and reviewing other detective’s interrogations. The information in this book was verified through research and studies.

This article will be helpful with the regards to improving police interrogation tactics and support that there is a need for new ideas to gather information from suspects or persons of interest.

3.

Bull, R., & Soukara, S. (March 03, 2011). Four Studies of What Really Happens in Police Interviews. pp. 81-95; Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association; 2010. xviii, 250 pp.

This article talks about how through their studies and observations, it is evident for police to be trained in interrogation tactics and techniques. The study also stated that police need to walk into an interrogation with an open mind and not thinking that the person is already guilty. This new approach, called PEACE by the police service, has been fully described elsewhere (e.g., Milne & Bull, 1999). The acronym stands for the following: Planning and Preparation, Engage and Explain, Obtain an Account, Closure, and Evaluation.

This article will assist in supporting my research by describing how new ways to interrogate suspects will be beneficial and help officers while they are talking with a suspect.

4.

Fisher, R., (Dec, 1995 to current.). Psychology, Public Policy, and Law. Academic Journal. Electronic ISSN: 1939-1528 vol. 1 (1). Retrieved from http http://web.b.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/ehost/command/detail?vid=5&sid=a053f3f9-0e9f-4e1c-9a9f-3592dccd9e15%40sessionmgr104&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGNwaWQmY3VzdGlkPXM4ODU2ODk3JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#jid=LAW&db=pdh.

This was an article written to inform the reader with factual information. This article was about how police receive inadequate training to communicate effective interrogation strategy’s. The information presented stated “Interviewing techniques derived from laboratory research are provided to facilitate eyewitness recall. The effectiveness of these techniques is examined in laboratory and field research on a novel interviewing procedure (Cognitive Interview) (Fischer, R., Dec, 1995 to current.). The author, R. Fischer made recommendations on how to improve training for police interrogations and also make psychological research more relevant in a court of law.

This article will be helpful in understanding how psychological research can be relevant in the court system. The ethical principles of interrogation will also be discussed. Understanding the positive and negative effects of submitting a “submission of guilt” from a suspect which was obtained unethically.

5.

Hershberger, Lindsay. (Feb 2005). Are Deceptive Interrogation Tactics by Police Ethical? Vol. 28 Issue 2, p5-5. 1/2p. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=8acfd8b2-d804-4f5a-aae0-070745f0c205%40sessionmgr4009&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGNwaWQmY3VzdGlkPXM4ODU2ODk3JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=16333706&db=f5h

This article discusses the ethical positions in police interrogation tactics. The author stated that “Besides being barred from using physical torture, or express threats to compel a suspect to confess, police are generally free to mislead or lie to a suspect” (Hershberger, L., Feb 2005). They are the only civil servant that is allowed this. Is it ethical for these civil servants to lie or say whatever it takes to get a confession, whether it be true or false? The article stated, “ethical is whether the ends justify the means” (Hershberger, L., Feb 2005). The article discusses and analyzes two court cases. The first case discusses the ethical tactics used in the case Brown v. Mississippi in 1936. The person who confessed was beaten until he confessed. The second case Miranda v. Arizona in 1966, the Supreme Court specified limits on police procedures when arresting a suspect. The Miranda requires that all police and detectives whom interrogate suspects or persons of interest to inform them of their civil rights. They have the right to remain silent, and also have the right to obtain an attorney, the suspect has the right to either follow their rights or waive their rights. Waving a suspect’s rights, the suspect can be interrogated by police.

I will use this article when discussing the ethics of police interrogation. How far can police ethically go in reference to force persons of interests to falsely confess. This will support the article regarding police interrogation and how the police officers need additional training to become ethically successful when in the interrogation room.

6.

Abeles, Norman, (May-Aug2010). Ethics and the Interrogation of Prisoners: An Update. Vol. 20 Issue 3/4, p243-249. 7p. Retrieved from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=2&sid=df064c8e-efb9-4c70-aa9a-c036738c5d06%40sessionmgr4008&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLGNwaWQmY3VzdGlkPXM4ODU2ODk3JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=51312067&db=a9h

This is a peer reviewed article which states there is a growing concern about the practice with the interrogation of detainees. There’s been over 300 articles published on this topic. The torture of prisoners and the role of psychologists is what is being discussed in this article. The article includes discussion of resolutions passed by American Psychological Association (APA) on this topic and briefly reviews criticisms of these resolutions. The author is expressing how this is a growing area of major concern as many people are going to prison for crimes they did not commit.

This article will be helpful when expressing the solutions discussed when describing the interview process and training techniques.