THE GOOD-COP BAD-COP ROUTINE, THE PRISONER'S DILEMMA, MAKING FALSE PROMISES OF LENIENCY, OFFERING MORAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL JUSTIFICATIONS FOR THE CRIME... POLICE OFFICERS USE A VARIETY OF TECHNIQUES TO EXTRACT CONFESSIONS, ADMISSIONS OF GUILT, AND/OR INCRIMINATING STATEMENTS. HERE ARE 10 POLICE INTERROGATION TECHNIQUES THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT -- FROM THE GENTLE AND SOFT, TO THE MORE MANIPULATIVE, CONFRONTATIONAL, AND COERVICE! FIRST, WE NEED TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN POLICE INTERVIEWS AND POLICE INTERROGATION. INTERVIEWS AND INTERROGATIONS ARE TWO DISTINCT AND YET RELATED, SOMETIMES OVERLAPPING, CONSTRUCTS. GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF INTERVIEWING IS TO COLLECT INFORMATION, AND TO FIND OUT QUOTE-ENDQUOTE THE TRUTH OF WHAT HAPPENED. INTERROGATIONS ON THE OTHER HAND, ARE CONDUCTED FOR ACCUSATORIAL OF PURPOSES. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE INTERROGATION IS TO EXTRACT INCRIMINATING STATEMENTS, ADMISSIONS OF GUILT, AND/OR CONCESSIONS. IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN POLICE OFFICERS INTERROGATE A SUSPECT, THEY HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA THAT THE SUSPECT IS GUILTY, OR AT LEAST, THEY BELIEVE THE SUSPECT IS GUILTY BECAUSE THEY HAVE ENOUGH EVIDENCE THAT POINTS TO THE GUILT OF THE SUSPECT. THE POLICE WILL ALMOST NEVER TELL YOU THAT THEY'RE GOING TO INTERROGATE YOU, THEY WILL ALWAYS SAY THAT THEY JUST WANT TO HAVE A WORD WITH YOU, HAVE A CHAT WITH YOU, OR JUST ASK YOU A COUPLE QUESTIONS IN ORDER TO TIE UP A FEW LOOSE ENDS. IN FACT, MANY INTERROGATIONS ACTUALLY START WITH INTERVIEWING IN ORDER TO GET THE SUSPECT TO TALK, TO GET THE SUSPECT TO GIVE UP HIS OR HER RIGHTS, FOR THE POLICE OFFICER TO ESTABLISH WHAT THEY CALL A BEHAVIORAL BASELINE, AND FOR THE POLICE OFFICER TO ESTABLISH RAPPORT WITH THE SUSPECT SO THAT THEY CAN KEEP THE SUSPECT TALKING. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GETTING A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF OURSELVES HERE, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE MOST COMMON STRATEGIES, TACTICS, TECHNIQUES, WHATEVER YOU CALL THEM, THAT POLICE USE TO EXTRACT CONFESSIONS. NUMBER ONE: THE PRETEXT PHONE CALL. THIS HAPPENS EVEN BEFORE THE INTERROGATION, THE POLICE WILL ARRANGE FOR THE ALLEGED VICTIM OR SOMEONE RELATED TO THE VICTIM TO CALL YOU OUT OF THE BLUE, SAYING SOMETHING LIKE -- IF YOU APOLOGIZE FOR WHAT YOU DID, THEN WE WILL NOT GO TO THE POLICE OR PRESS CHARGES. WE JUST WANT TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT YOU'RE SORRY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AND THAT YOU DIDN'T MEAN TO HURT US... SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND OF COURSE, IF YOU APOLOGIZED, THEN THE RECORDING OF THIS PHONE CALL WOULD MOST LIKELY BE ADMITTED IN COURT AS YOUR ADMISSION OF GUILT OR EVEN AS YOUR CONFESSION. THIS CAN HAPPEN EVEN BEFORE THE POLICE INTERROGATE YOU, THEY MAY HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN YOUR INCRIMINATING STATEMENTS, ADMISSIONS OF GUILT, OR CONFESSION THROUGH THIS PRETEXT PHONE CALL. THE SECOND TECHNIQUE IS -- ISOLATION. WHEN IT COMES TO POLICE INTERROGATION, THE FIRST THING THEY'RE GOING TO DO IS TO ISOLATE YOU. THE POLICE OFFICER WOULD TRY TO MAKE YOU FEEL ISOLATED, ALONE, AND COMPLETELY POWERLESS. THE INTERROGATION ROOM IS USUALLY VERY SMALL, IT HAS NO WINDOW, YOU CANNOT SEE OUT, THERE'S NOTHING ON THE WALL, THERE'S NO POSTERS, NO PAINTINGS, NO CLOCKS, NO NOTHING, WHICH MEANS THERE IS NOTHING FOR YOU TO FIX YOUR EYES ON, YOU WILL HAVE TO LOOK AT AND LISTEN TO THE INTERROGATOR. MOST LIKELY YOU WILL BE SEATED AT THE CORNER OF THE ROOM IN A CHAIR THAT CANNOT MOVE WHILE THE POLICE OFFICER WOULD BE SITTING IN AN OFFICE CHAIR WITH WHEELS SO THAT THEY CAN EASILY MOVE CLOSER TO YOU OR FARTHER AWAY FROM YOU, DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION. SOMETIMES THE POLICE OFFICER WILL PLACE YOU IN THE INTERROGATION ROOM AND JUST LEAVE YOU THERE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE QUESTIONING YOU. THIS IS TO FURTHER ENHANCE YOUR SENSE OF ISOLATION AND POWERLESSNESS. NUMBER THREE: RAPPORT-BUILDING. FREQUENTLY, THE INTERROGATION BEGINS RATHER PLEASANTLY. THE POLICE OFFICER WOULD TRY TO ESTABLISH RAPPORT WITH YOU IN ORDER TO GET YOU TO TALK TO THEM. THEY WILL BEGIN BY ASKING YOU CASUAL AND FRIENDLY QUESTION, THINGS LIKE -- HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN LIVING IN THIS TOWN? I SEE YOU'RE WEARING A BASKETBALL HAD, WHICH TEAM DO YOU SUPPORT? OH, REALLY? ME TOO. THE POLICE OFFICER MIGHT OFFER YOU FOOD AND DRINKS, SOME POLICE OFFICERS MIGHT EVEN GO THE EXTRA MILE AND WEAR SIMILAR KIND OF CLOTHES AS YOU IN ORDER TO EMPHASIZE SIMILARITY AND TO ESTABLISH RAPPORT. THEY INTERACT AND CHAT WITH YOU IN ORDER TO SEE WHAT YOU ARE LIKE WHEN YOU ARE RELAXED AND TELLING THE TRUTH IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH A BEHAVIORAL BASELINE SO THAT LATER ALL THEY WILL BE ABLE TO SENSE WHEN YOU'RE TENSE AND NOT TELLING THE TRUTH. DURING THIS PORTION OF THE INTERROGATION, CHANCES ARE YOU MIGHT FEEL THAT THE POLICE OFFICER IS A GENUINELY NICE PERSON AND A PLEASANT CONVERSATIONALIST AND THAT YOU MIGHT ACTUALLY FEEL THAT YOU REALLY ENJOY TALKING TO THIS PERSON. THAT, OF COURSE, IS WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO FEEL. THAT IS EXACTLY THE OBJECTIVE OF THE RAPPORT BUILDING PHASE OF THE INTERROGATION. NUMBER FOUR: WAIVER OF RIGHTS. AND NOW, AFTER YOU HAVE BEEN CHATTING WITH THE POLICE OFFICER FOR A WHILE, THE POLICE OFFICER WOULD SAY SOMETHING LIKE THIS -- WELL, LOOKS LIKE YOU WANT TO TALK TO ME... SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE SOMEONE I CAN TALK WITH OPENLY AND HONESTLY... I BET YOU'RE QUITE EAGER TO TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED... I AM REALLY INTERESTED IN KNOWING YOUR SIDE OF THE STORY... LET'S FILL OUT A FORM... LET'S TAKE CARE OF THE PAPERWORK... THEY WILL VERY NICELY AND VERY EASILY GET YOU TO GIVE UP OR WAIVE YOUR RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT AND YOUR RIGHT TO LEGAL COUNSEL. NUMBER 5: OPEN QUESTIONS. THE PLEASANT TONE OF VOICE WILL MOST LIKELY REMAIN THROUGHOUT THE OPEN QUESTIONS PORTION. THEY WILL ASK YOU OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS TO GENERATE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE SO THAT POTENTIAL INCONSISTENCIES IN YOUR STATEMENTS CAN BE IDENTIFIED AND USED AGAINST YOU. POLICE OFFICERS CAN GET A PRETTY GOOD SENSE OF WHEN YOU'RE TENSE OR NERVOUS AND UNCERTAIN OR LYING ABOUT THINGS. BECAUSE REMEMBER THEY HAD ALREADY ESTABLISHED A BASELINE OF YOUR BEHAVIOUR DURING THE RAPPORT BUILDING PHASE OF THE INTERROGATION. THIS OPEN QUESTION INTERVIEWING PROCESS CAN VARY IN TERMS OF LENGTH OF TIME. NUMBER SIX: ACCUSATION! THEN, THE ACCUSATORY PROCESS OF INTERROGATION WILL COME. THE POLICE OFFICER WILL ACCUSE YOU OF THE CRIME CONFIDENTLY, UNWAVERINGLY, AND REPEATEDLY. THEY WOULD SAY THINGS LIKE -- WE KNOW FOR A FACT THAT YOU DID IT, I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHY! AND YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO DENY THINGS. THE POLICE OFFICER WILL INTERRUPT ALL YOUR DENIALS. THEY WOULD DISMISS YOUR DENAILS AS IMPOSSIBLE AND CONTRADICTORY TO THE FACTS OF THE CASE. ESSENTIALLY, THEY WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO EFFECTIVELY VERBALIZE ANY COHERENT DENIALS OR DEFENSE. THEY WILL SAY THINGS LIKE -- STOP DENYING IT! STOP TALKING! LISTEN TO ME! LISTEN TO ME NOW! I WILL GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK IN JUST A MOMENT, BUT RIGHT NOW, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU LISTEN TO ME CAREFULLY! WHY DO THEY SAY THAT? WHY DO THEY TELL YOU THAT YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO THEM? IT IS NOT BECAUSE THEY HAVE SOMETHING TERRIBLY IMPORTANT TO SAY. RATHER, IT IS BECAUSE THE POLICE INTERROGATION TECHNIQUE INDICATES THAT THE SUSPECT SHOULD NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VERBALIZE DENIALS. NEXT: FALSE EVIDENCE PLOYS. THE POLICE OFFICER WILL CONFRONT YOU WITH EVIDENCE AGAINST YOU, SOMETIMES REAL EVIDENCE, SOMETIMES FABRICATED EVIDENCE -- KNOWN AS A FALSE EVIDENCE PLOY. THEY WILL SAY THAT THEY HAVE YOUR FINGERPRINTS, OR THEY'VE GOT YOUR DNA, OR THEY HAVE EYEWITNESS TESTIMONIES, OR THEY HAVE SURVEILLANCE TAPES, OR THEY HAVE AUDIO RECORDINGS -- THEY CAN SAY ANYTHING. IN FACT, IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT THE POLICE OFFICER WHO HAS BEEN QUESTIONING YOU HAS A BIG FOLDER IN FRONT OF THEM WITH YOUR NAME ON IT -- MAKING YOU THINK THAT THEY HAVE ALL KINDS OF EVIDENCE AND PAPERS ON YOU. THEY MAY ALSO HAVE WITH THEM VIDEOTAPES OR CD-ROMS, MAKING YOU THINK THAT THEY HAVE VIDEO OR AUDIO RECORDINGS OF YOU. THIS IS ALL TO PUT PSYCHOLOGICAL PRESSURE ON YOU AND THIS IS ALL LEGAL. THE POLICE IS LEGALLY PERMITTED TO USE DECEIT WHEN INTERROGATING SUSPECTS, REMEMBER THAT! NUMBER NINE: THEMES. THE ACCUSATORY PROCESS OF INTERROGATION WILL CULMINATE WITH THE USE OF THEMES -- A BAD THEME AND A GOOD THEME, BOTH OF WHICH WILL SAY THAT YOU COMMITTED A CRIME THAT YOU'RE BEING ACCUSED OF, BUT ONE SAYS THAT YOU DID IT BECAUSE YOU ARE EVIL AND BECAUSE YOU INTEND TO DO SO AND BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO CAUSE HARM TO THE VICTIM, WHEREAS THE OTHER THEME WILL SAY DID IT BY ACCIDENT, OR YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE DOING, OR YOU WERE DRUNK, OR IT WAS SPUR OF THE MOMENT, OR THE VICTIM DESERVED IT, WHATEVER... IN OTHER WORDS, THE GOOD THEME OFFERS YOU MORAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL JUSTIFICATIONS FOR THE CRIME -- IT IS JUST AN ACCIDENT, IT'S JUST A MISTAKE, WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES, IT'S NO BIG DEAL, AND IF YOU GO ALONG WITH THE GOOD THEME, THERE WILL BE A LESSER CHARGE AND THE JUDGE WILL BE VERY LENIENT WHEN IT COMES TO SENTENCING. THE GOOD THEME IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE MINIMIZATION -- IT MINIMIZES THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE CRIME AND IT MINIMIZES THE CHARGE AND PUNISHMENT. THE BAD THEME, BY CONTRAST, IS MAXIMIZATION -- MAXIMIZING THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE CRIME, MAXIMIZING THE PUNISHMENT, THREATENING YOU, SCARING YOU. THE CONTRASTING EFFECTS OF MINIMIZATION AND MAXIMIZATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE GOOD THEME AND THE BAD THEME ARE VERY SIMILAR TO THOSE OF THE GOOD COP AND BAD COP ROUTINE. ANY RATIONAL PERSON IN THAT SITUATION WILL CHOOSE THE GOOD THEME. CONFESSION: AS SOON AS THE POLICE OFFICER SENSES THAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO STOP RESISTING AND GO ALONG WITH A GOOD THEME, BY THE WAY, THEY CAN USUALLY TELL THIS BY YOUR BODY LANGUAGE AND YOUR POSTURE. POLICE INTERROGATORS ARE TRAINED TO SPOT THE SO-CALLED SURRENDER POSITION SO THAT THEY CAN TELL WHEN YOU ARE ABOUT TO BREAK. AS SOON AS THEY SENT YOU'RE ABOUT TO ADMIT GUILT OR CONFESS, THEY WILL MOVE CLOSER TO YOU, THEY MIGHT PUT A HAND ON YOU -- KIND OF NUDGING YOU ON AND ENCOURAGING YOU. THEY WILL SAY THAT YOU ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING -- YOU'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING! THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO! THEY MIGHT BRING IN ANOTHER OFFICER AT THIS POINT TO ENSURE THAT YOU DO NOT CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT CONFESSING. THEY MAY ALSO TRY TO CONVERT OUR CONFESSION INTO A WRITEN ONE -- ASKING YOU TO WRITE THINGS DOWN. THEY MIGHT EVEN TRICK YOU INTO WRITING AN APOLOGY LETTER TO THE VICTIM, TELLING YOU THAT IT'S GOING TO HELP YOU BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO MAKE THE JUDGE SEE THAT YOU'RE SORRY. THEN, OF COURSE, THE APOLOGY LETTER WILL ACTUALLY BE RECORDED AS A WRITTEN CONFESSION. SO, IN CONCLUSION, THESE POLICE INTERROGATION TECHNIQUES HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE VERY VERY EFFECTIVE. THEY CAN EVEN LEAD AN INNOCENT SUSPECT TO QUESTION THEMSELVES, TO DOUBT THEIR OWN MEMORY, AND TO FALSELY CONFESS TO A CRIME THAT THEY DID NOT COMMIT. THERE ARE MANY ACTUAL POLICE INTERROGATION VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE -- SOME OF THEM INVOLVE GUILTY SUSPECT, SOME OF THEM SHOW FALSE CONFESSIONS BY INNOCENT PEOPLE. WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD AND WATCH A FEW OF THESE VIDEOS? YOU WILL BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED IN THIS VIDEO. HOW THE POLICE OFFICER GETS THE SUSPECT WAIVE THERE RIGHTS, HOW THE POLICE OFFICER BUILDS RAPPORT WITH THE SUSPECT, THE INTERRUPTIONS OF DENIALS, IMPLIED OR OVERT SUGGESTION OF LENIENCY, IMPLIED OR OVERT THREATS, MINIMIZATION AND MAXIMIZATION, THE USE OF FALSE EVIDENCE PLOYS, AND THE USE OF THEME. IF YOU PAY CLOSE ATTENTION, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SPOT ALL THESE TECHNIQUES IN POLICE INTERROGATION VIDEOS. I HOPE YOU FIND THIS VIDEO INTERESTING INFORMATIVE! HAVE YOU EVER HAD ANY CITIZEN POLICE ENCOUNTERS? WHAT'S YOUR IMPRESSION OF YOUR LOCAL POLICE FORCE? I'D LOVE TO HEAR EXPERIENCES AND THOUGHTS ON THIS TOPIC, SO FEEL VERY FREE TO LEAVE A COMMENT! AND AS USUAL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WATCHING! PLEASE LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE! I WILL SEE YOU IN MY NEXT VIDEO!... :-)
