Interview and Interrogation Techniques Training
Table of Contents
Interview and Interrogation Techniques
Training Courses
Practical Kinesic Interview and Interrogation® Series
Essential Interview and Interrogation Techniques
for Detectives and Criminal Investigators
-3 Day Level 1 Course
Course Description
No investigation can progress without information. Information that is available only by interviewing victims, witnesses, and sources as well as the interrogation of persons of interest. Of paramount importance is that the techniques used by the investigator must be capable of 1) collecting all the available information 2) do so without contaminating the subject’s knowledge base and 3) can discriminate between truth and deceptive statements. The simple truth is that the majority of investigators have not had the opportunity to update the skill sets necessary to be consistently successful during the interview and interrogation phase of their investigations.
Proceeding without a clear plan of action for conducting successful interviews or interrogations can easily sabotage the investigator’s case. This course is designed to “re-tool” and “upgrade” detective and criminal investigators’ interview and interrogation methods to current forensic standards. The techniques taught have been proven to be more efficient and effective at providing the comprehensive information that’s needed for successfully clearing and prosecuting cases.
Who Should Attend:
This course is appropriate for experienced detectives and investigators who want to upgrade their interview and interrogation skills. It is also appropriate for new detectives and new criminal investigations who to start with a solid foundation for their interview and interrogation techniques.
Participants will learn:
-
- The distinction between accusatory and information-focused interviews.
- Recognizing and managing their subjects’ negative cognitive and emotional changes that disrupt the interview.
- The best ways to maximize the information gained from victims and witnesses.
- How to avoid subject “contamination.”
- What it takes to “isolate” key topics that require follow-up.
- Dispel the numerous “deception cue” myths that can sabotage interviewers.
- Tools for spotting truthful statements versus deceptive statements.
- How to recognize and avoid fatal “confirmation bias” by the interviewer.
How to distinguish between “persuasion” and “manipulation.”
Essential Interview and Interrogation Techniques
for Detectives and Criminal Investigators
-5 Day Level 1 & 2 Course
Course Description
No investigation can progress without information. Information that is available only by interviewing victims, witnesses, and sources as well as the interrogation of persons of interest. Of paramount importance is that the techniques used by the investigator must be capable of 1) collecting all the available information 2) do so without contaminating the subject’s knowledge base and 3) can discriminate between truth and deceptive statements. The simple truth is that the majority of investigators have not had the opportunity to update the skillsets necessary to be consistently successful during the interview and interrogation phase of their investigations.
Proceeding without a clear plan of action for conducting successful interviews or interrogations can easily sabotage the investigator’s case. This course is designed to “re-tool” and “upgrade” detective and criminal investigators’ interview and interrogation methods to current forensic standards. The techniques taught have been proven to be more efficient and effective at providing the comprehensive information that’s needed for successfully clearing and prosecuting cases.
Interviewers that have registered the best success in the interview environment and keenly aware of the 3 variables. First, they know how to conduct a true narrative-based interview. Second, they can recognize and adjust to their subject’s emotional and mental changes throughout the interview. Third, they understand that the person if front of them has a unique personal history and personality type and they adjust their interview accordingly. The Level 2 part of this course focuses on mastering those three advanced interviewing skills.
Who Should Attend:
This course is appropriate for experienced detectives and investigators who want to upgrade their interview and interrogation skills. It is also appropriate for new detectives and new criminal investigations who want to start with a solid foundation for their interview and interrogation techniques.
Participants will learn:
- The distinction between accusatory and information-focused interviews.
- Recognizing and managing their subjects’ negative cognitive and emotional changes that disrupt the interview.
- The best ways to maximize the information gained from victims and witnesses.
- How to avoid subject “contamination.”
- What it takes to “isolate” key topics that require follow-up.
- Dispel the numerous “deception cue” myths that can sabotage interviewers.
- Tools for spotting truthful statements versus deceptive statements.
- How to recognize and avoid fatal “confirmation bias” by the interviewer.
- How to distinguish between “persuasion” and “manipulation.”
- The difference between the four basic personality types and how they are best interviewed.
- How to create a custom “persuasive argument” that matches the person being interviewed.
- Develop a keen grasp of the concept the “Cycle of Behavior” and what them means to their investigation and their interrogations.
Interview and Interrogation for
New Detectives, Criminal Investigators & 1st Responders
-3 Day Course
Course Description
A critical pillar of the investigative process is the interviewing of victims, witnesses, sources and potential suspects. Imagine the direct impact, both positive and negative that the quality of the information gained and the interview and interrogation tactics used can have on the prosecution of a case. The simple truth is that the courts have already started focusing on the faulty and in some cases extremely dated methods and techniques currently in use.
The plan of action for this course is provide an updated foundation of productive as well as ethical interview and interrogation techniques. Allowing new detectives, criminal investigators and first responders to develop their skills by “trial and error” is unacceptable. The ultimate cost of legal liability and subsequent litigation is quickly reaching an unsustainable level. Especially since the problem could avoided by early training in the current science of interview and interrogation.
Who Should Attend
- New & Seasoned Detectives
- New & Seasoned Criminal Investigators
- 1st Responders
- Interdiction Officers
- Accident Investigators
- Health & Safety Investigators
- Regulatory Investigators.
- Corporate Loss Prevention
- Risk Managers
- Fire / Arson Investigators
- Correctional Officers
- Probation / Parole
- School Resource Officers
- Special Investigations
- Claims Investigators
Participants will get to work on:
- Understanding the “Interviewer’s Impact Principle”.
- Using the “4 Elements of a Successful Interview” to gain 60%+ information.
- How to avoid the 3 fatal pitfalls that devastate an interview.
- The “Strategic Use of Evidence” Tactic.
- Decoding a subject’s “Purpose of Action”
- Recordation of Interviews and Interrogations: The Growing Trend
- Recognize the verbal and non-verbals cues of “reaction” and “response” behaviors.
- How to recognize the cues of a cooperative subject.
- Develop an ethical persuasive dialogue to gain subject compliance and cooperation.
Level 1 - Practical Kinesic Interview and Interrogation®
Available Formats: In-Person & Virtual
The Interview Techniques Course Focused on Maximizing Information Recovery.
3 – Day Course
Recommended For:
Experienced and Fairly New Detectives & Criminal Investigators Who Want to Update Their Skill Set
Participants will learn:
- 3 fundamental keys you must use to conduct a successful interview.
- 3 avoidable tactics that will contaminate any statement.
- Improve your chances of avoiding deception.
- 8 fundamentals to help you dramatically improve every single interview.
- Start getting 60% more information from all your interviews.
- You’ll master the art of effective narrative-based interviews.
Level 1 & 2: Practical Kinesic Interview and Interrogation®
Available Formats: In-Person & Virtual
This ultimate Science of Interview and Interrogation Techniques Course
5 Day Course
Recommended for:
Experienced Detectives & Criminal Investigators wanting advanced training.
Participants will learn:
- 3 tactics you absolutely must avoid that can cause false confessions and contaminated statements.
- 3 essential keys you need to conduct a successful interview.
- 3 primary reasons why other investigators fail to accurately spot deception and how you can avoid them.
- 8 fundamentals to help you dramatically improve every single interview.
- Learn how you can recover 60% more information from victims, witnesses & subjects.
- You’ll master the art of an effective narrative-based interview.
- Learn to use the 4 powerful elements of a non-coercive persuasive conversation.
- Create a plan of action for effective interviews and interrogations based on each personality you will meet in an interview room.
Level 3 & 4 - Practical Kinesic Interview and Interrogation®
Advance Practical Course
Prior Attendance in Level 1 & 2 is Mandatory
5 Day Advanced Interview and Interrogation Techniques
This is an Advanced Practical Course
Recommended For:
Previous Attendance in Level 1 & 2 is Mandatory. No Exceptions.
Participants will learn & experience:
Tactical Interrogation of Excluded Personalities
- This section will assist the interrogator in recognizing some of the more prominent behavioral cues of subjects that may be suffering from psychoses, affective disorders, suicidal thoughts, or organic brain disease and effective tactics to use when dealing with these subjects in the interview room.
- You’ll view extensive video examples from the video archives developed by the instructor.
Tactical Interrogation of Tangent Personalities
- In this section of instruction everyone is going to learn about various personality disorders, impulse control disorders, emotional disorders.
- You’ll learn how to recognize their behaviors in the interview room.
- You’ll learn the special tactics to use in order to effectively deal with these subjects in your interview room.
- You’ll also participate in extensive hands-on exercises.
- We’ll visit an area correctional facility for extended interview sessions.
You’ll Get Maximum Feedback About Your Progress
- All your interview sessions will be video-taped.
- The following day you and your team will review and critique the previous day’s practical exercises
… and much, much more
On-Scene Interview and Interrogation for
Patrol Officers & 1st Responders
2 – Day Course
Recommended for:
Patrol Officers
1st Responders
Fire Service
Accident Scene Investigators
…and similar first on scene personnel
Course Description
From traffic stops to dispatched calls, from low priority to high, the “first contact” activities of patrol officers and first responders can have a direct impact on whether or not a case is brought to efficient and successful closure. One of the most important elements of “first contact” activity is effective “information focused” interviews of victims, witnesses, and persons of interest. Information that has been withheld, details that have been fabricated, or memory that has been contaminated can quickly and irrevocably sabotage any case.
Effective “first contact” interviews can produce the “investigative leverage” patrol officers and first responders need to establish and maintain the line of communication with all involved parties. This “leverage” produces leads that need to be pursued, accurately identify the true role and the extent of involvement of each party involved, and significantly improve the efficient deployment of manpower and resources needed on scene.
The solution to conducting effective on-scene interviews are methods that are not complex and are easy to replicate. The techniques should reliably recover complete and accurate information from subjects being interviewed. Finally, the techniques used should encourage victim and witness cooperation while at the same time improve the patrol officer or first responders ability to spot attempts at possible deception by any of the involved parties.
Attendees will explore:
- The four elements of an effective information-focused interview.
- How to recover at least 60% more information during their interviews.
- Understand how human memory works.
- How to avoid memory contamination and the “misinformation effect.”
- How to spot fabricated statements by a subject.
- Understand and recognize the two forms of deception.
- Recognize and avoid mental and emotional manipulation by interview subjects.
- Recognize and manage mental and emotional changes in an interview subject that inhibits the information exchange.
- Learn to use effective “recall enchancing” interviewing methods.
- How to use a simple an ethical “persuasion formula” for overcoming resistance by an interview subject.