Course Overview

Law enforcement officials responsible for conducting criminal investigations are involved in the objective search for the truth in every facet of an investigation, including interviews and interrogations. Investigators must provide prosecutors with several items that meet the legal and ethical requirements for admission in court. Interview and interrogation techniques are becoming highly scrutinized by the courts as well as members of the jury. Unfortunately, police agencies across the United States have neglected to provide up-to-date training on interview and interrogation tactics, which have caused major problems for not only the departments but for investigators as well. Investigators will also be presented with up-to-date case law regarding current issues surrounding interviews and interrogations. This two-day training course is designed to provide investigators with the necessary skills to obtain information through interviewing and interrogation in an ethical and legal framework. Investigators will learn the difference between interviews and interrogations, methods for establishing rapport, developing case-specific themes, proper room setup, the difference between an admission and a confession, and techniques to ensure the interview is conducted in a legal manner. Numerous case studies will be discussed as well as audio/video of past interrogations to help demonstrate the techniques presented.