Put Together A Case File: Part 3

Part 3 is all about interviews and statements. This is a rather short last part.  This means talking to people, asking questions, reading body language, etc.

A witness statement is a written statement that is signed and dated by the witness regarding their perspective of a crime.  There is no particular format for this.  It is however they write it.  For legal purposes, they must sign and date.  Do not coerce or put anyone under duress.

An interview is done to gather information.  This can be done in a casual setting, like undercover at a bar, or in a more formal setting, like meeting at a specific place at a specific time.  The person does not need to know that you are gathering information during an interview.  Be aware that if you decide to record an interview, you must be part of that interview in order to legally obtain it in states with interview recording restrictions.  An interview may lead to a witness statement.  It can sometimes lead to an interrogation.

An interrogation is the attempt to get a suspect to confess to something.  It typically follows an interview, not the other way around.

How to Interview Someone

In general terms, an interview is a conversation with the end goal being to obtain information.  Like most conversations, you may have to include a little small talk, but make sure you bring it back to the subject at hand.

One of the best things you can do to prepare for this is to read up before you start practicing. You should be able to find these at Barnes & Noble or on Amazon.

• "Interviewing and Interrogation for Law Enforcement" by John E Hess, 2010

• "Practical Aspects of Interview and Interrogation" by David E Zulawski and Douglas E Wicklander, 2001

• "Stop Asking Questions: How to Lead High-Impact Interviews and Learn Anything from Anyone" by Andrew Warner, 2021

• "Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know" by Malcolm Gladwell, 2021

• "Talk to Me: How to Ask Better Questions, Get Better Answers, and Interview Anyone Like a Pro" by Dean Nelson, 2019

• "Body Language How To Read Any Body: The Secret To Nonverbal Communication To Understand & Influence In, Business, Sales, Online, Presenting & Public Speaking, Healthcare, Attraction & Seduction" by Derek Borthwick, 2021

• "Understanding Body Language: How to Decode Nonverbal Communication in Life, Love, and Work" by Scott Rouse, 2021

• "What Every Body Is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Speed-Reading People" by Joe Navarro and Marvin Karlins, 2008

• "Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes" by Maria Konnikova, 2013

To put what you've learned into practice, go out and strike up a conversation with a stranger. What can you learn about them? What observations can you make about them? If you're more introverted, putting your interview skills into practice may be difficult, but you can do it. Everyone can.

Use an icebreaker.  An icebreaker is something that opens a conversation between you and the person you want to spill the beans.  This could be something like “Are you a fan of the Eagles?  Did you see the game last week?” (if the person is wearing an Eagles jersey) or “I heard you saw the shooting the other day.  Can you tell me about it?”  An icebreaker should get someone to start talking.

Active listening.  In a regular conversation, we may not completely listen to what the other people are saying.  As an RLSH, you need to actively listen - which will lead to you asking more pertinent questions and being able to gather more information.

Build Rapport. You don't have to make any deals or promise anything. The goal here is to build enough trust for people to openly talk to you. Sometimes a $20 can help encourage a street kid to speak and, if you speak to them again, they might be willing to share more.

Be Direct. Don't be afraid to be direct with your questions. This doesn't mean you have to be brooding and angry; just be direct.

What is a successful interview?

• You walk away with new information

• You gather contact information from the witness or suspect or new lead

• You may end up with a statement from a witness

• You may end up with a confession from a suspect

• You may end up networking with new informant and building your RLSH reputation