| Interviewing is hard work, certainly harder than not | | | | the car because it belonged to one of his family |
| making the effort. I have observed a multitude of | | | | members. |
| good (and some great) interviewers and they share | | | | Lesson: what's most important to you, the |
| some common characteristics, as follows: | | | | interviewer, is not necessarily what's most important |
| INQUISITIVE - Simply put, most good interviewers | | | | to the interviewee. |
| want to know what's going on, have their suspicions | | | | PATIENT -Police often damage the memory retrieval |
| raised easily and are nosy. | | | | process by:o hurrying witnesseso interrupting people |
| OBSERVANT - Successful interviewing means thinking | | | | when they are talkingo using inappropriate sequencing |
| on your feet, while observing your surroundings and | | | | of questionso stopping the statement process too |
| constantly observing the subject being interviewed.o | | | | soon. |
| Not a job for those people who go through life | | | | The most common question I'm asked by students is |
| half-awake. | | | | this: |
| ENERGETIC - No one makes interviewers put forth | | | | "Can anyone learn to be an effective interviewer or |
| the effort to get that confession, it's something that | | | | is it an in-born skill?" |
| comes from within.o You either have the desire or | | | | Here's an analogy which may help explain the answer. |
| you don't. | | | | Think of interviewing like playing the piano. Some |
| ABILITY - Good interviewers can talk with people | | | | children are born with a gift for playing the piano. |
| and put them at ease, while eliciting useful | | | | With diligent practice, they become master concert |
| information.o There's a fine line here between being | | | | pianists. Others have very little natural ability, but are |
| an officious "John (or Jane) Wayne" and a complete | | | | also diligent in their training. After years of practice |
| B.S. artist. | | | | they become adept at playing and become |
| PROBLEM SOLVERS - Interviewers must look at the | | | | "practitioners" of the piano. The common |
| big picture to succeed in obtaining incriminating | | | | denominator is: PRACTICE. |
| admissions from a suspect. | | | | Without diligent practice, no one (irrespective of |
| I once saw an investigator lose a rape confession | | | | natural ability) will ever play the piano. Interviewing is |
| because he wanted the suspect to first admit | | | | like playing the piano in that there are some people |
| stealing the car that he used to commit the rape!o | | | | who are natural communicators and some who are |
| The suspect was willing to admit doing the rape, but | | | | not so blessed. However, if each person practices, |
| didn't want to admit stealing the car.o The | | | | both types will become effective interviewers. A |
| investigator doggedly continued questioning the | | | | good interviewer should understand basic human |
| suspect about the car until the interview ended with | | | | behavior, should be intelligent, friendly, patient and |
| no admissions at all.o When I was asked to help with | | | | persistent. |
| the interview, I just skipped the whole car issue and | | | | Remember: Good officers do not necessarily make |
| secured the rape confession.o We later discovered | | | | good interviewers. |
| that the suspect had been reluctant to admit stealing | | | | |