Police Interrogation Process

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Interrogation can sometimes be the only way the police can solve a crime. Police have to use the tactics at the right time to have the suspect talk. Many times, the police start by getting to know the suspect. The interrogators learn about the suspect’s family, friends, job and hobbies. Anything the police think might be useful to get to the truth, they find out. The differences every person has are important to know. The uniqueness every person has is important to acknowledge. An interrogator can never assume that one case will be the same as another. They are as prepared as possible. The interrogator has a better chance of learning the motives and asking the right questions to have the suspect talk. Empathy is a powerful …show more content…
First, the interrogator confronts the suspect with facts of the case, accusing them of having something to do with it. When the suspect begins to deny, the interrogator cuts them off and accuses them again. This is to frustrate the suspect and allow the interrogator to gain control of the conversation (Vessel 2). The interrogator keeps saying the suspect has a part in the crime. The only question the interrogator asks is why the suspect did it? What was the motive? “The suspect may stop offering denials and begin providing excuses or justifications for their actions.” (2) Often, the police will have the suspect repeat his story over and over again to see if there are flaws. The officers look for a weak point in their alibi or a point where the story changes. The interrogator then points out the change to get the suspect off guard and many times it is like dominoes as other pieces fall …show more content…
He asks “face-saving questions” to the suspect (Schrimpf). These questions ask whether the crime was committed to help his family or question similar so that the suspect might not feel as bad, but the police still have the confession they need. On average, in an interrogation, every hour that the suspect and interrogator are in a room, the likelihood of a confession increases by about twenty five percent. Some suspects confess right away, but most do not. It is a long strenuous process as the suspect thinks over all the accusations, the arguments and thoughts told by the interrogator. They need time to think over all they have heard so when an interrogation is only thirty minutes to an hour, there is a seventy five percent chance that the interrogation will not end a confession. (2) Eventually, with enough force and persuasion, every person will talk. In those cases, the suspect feels that it would be better to confess than to stay in and be interrogated more. This phenomenon is sometimes called the “reactance theory” (Gudjonsson 36). When the case goes to court, the confession will be thrown out. An interrogator can’t use too much force or keep the suspect in interrogation for an extended amount of time. The interrogator has to be focused and get the interrogation where it needs to