‘PEACE’Management of Conversation

Interviewing Suspects

Iceland Detectives AssociationSeminar 2008

Steve RetfordSpecialist Investigative Interview Advisor

Greater Manchester Police

Presentation Contents

• Evolution of Suspect Interviewing

• The P.E.A.C.E. Concept and process

• Management of Conversation Interview Model

What lead to P.E.A.C.E.

• Inconsistent interview techniques- Result being ineffective interviews.

• Miscarriages of Justice – Exposed poor practice

• ACPO identified the need for a Professional consistent approach of ethical and effective interviewing

• 1986 onwards - Dr Eric Shepherd developed the Management of Conversation interview Model whilst working with UK Police Forces.

• This was incorporated into the P.E.A.C.E package which contained the Cognitive Interview Model

• 1990 onwards – National Programme of training all UK Police Forces in P.E.A.C.E.

• Planning and Preparation

• Engage and Explain

• Account, Clarification and Challenge

• Closure

• Evaluation

The Training

• Cognitive Interview Model – Designed for Witnesses and Victims.

• Management of Conversation Model – Designed for Suspects and Interviewees who are resistant.

• Five day training course – Which is now on average 2 weeks in duration

Application of the Model

• Planning and Preparation – Taking into account the legal points to prove and other legal requirements with investigatively important topics

• Engage and Explain- Commencing the interview, outlining process & Route Map

Account

• Account, Clarification & Challenge –• Trigger disclosure from the interviewee – Plan your

initial questions• Three ethical disclosures to trigger a spontaneous

account• Closed Confirmatory question concerning guilt –

Now you are clear about the reason for the interview Gisli, did you stab your flatmate Karl Rodgers?

Account Cont…..

• A Trailer Question- Series of key facts

This afternoon witnesses heard you and Karl arguing in your flat…..

You were heard to leave the flat, slamming the door

Minutes later Karl collapsed on the landing with serious stab wounds…

You have blood on your shirt and a cut on your hand…

I need to know Gisli how do you account for these things?

A Productive Question requesting an account of detail for a specified period, or detail concerning a specified topic. A parameter question –

“Tell me what you were doing in the bar between 9 o’clock and 9.30 pm last night”?

“Tell me all about the Jeep motor vehicle you own”

(No one size fits all therefore you must balance each case on its merits)

Never offer Inducements

‘A promise or offer to the suspect that it would be in their best interests if they made an admission’

(For example = A reduction in their sentence.)

If an inducement has been offered it could mean that your case never gets to court or is thrown out because of the inducement.

Account Cont…..

•If provided - is the ACCOUNT thin or substantial?•Evaluate the ACCOUNT and identify the topic areas that the interviewee is disclosing to you.•Evaluate their significance – Do they match your topics?•Analyse the sequence for investigation.•Has the interviewee provided you with material which will support your points to prove the offence?

Account Cont……

•If the ACCOUNT is thin, you may seek to expand it by gentle questions.•If thin do not summarise it.•If you can increase the disclosure you can then summarise its content.•If on the other hand you are provided with a full ACCOUNT at the start by the interviewee, you should summarise it covering the key areas, then select the topic sequence and investigate it.

Investigation processThe interviewing spiral

• Select the Interviewee’s Topic from the group then:-

• Probe• Summarise• Link to the next selected topic and do the

same again, until all their topics are covered then move to yours, if they have not already been covered and carry out the same process.

Questioning Style to adopt

• 5 WH = Who, Why, What, Where, When and How

• T.E.D. = Tell, Explain, Describe

• “ Take me through That…….”• “Give me some idea about that……”

Probing the ACCOUNT

• Ask questions to obtain expansion and explanation of selected detail. = Clarification

• Questions should be systematic if you are to achieve good investigative aims and objectives

Probing the ACCOUNT cont…..

This requires conscious attention to 4 activities:-• Opening up a topic you want the EE to disclose

further on.• Probing the topic methodically in Fine Grain

Detail.• Summarising the key issues you have learned.• Stating a logical link to the next topic you want the

EE to disclose further upon.

Probing the ACCOUNT cont….

You want to achieve systematic lines of questions.• Open up the topic using productive question.• Register the fine grain detail of the answer.• ID any key issues within the answer.• Frame a question.• Deliver the question.• Register the fine grain detail of the answer…and so on….

UK Saying:- “The Devil is in the Detail”.

In a compliant interview you can expose a liar by seeking this fine grain detail – You can create ‘Hurdles to Lying’ (Dr Eric Shepherd)

Conclusion of Account and Clarification

When all the investigatively relevant topics have been explored you should have either confirmed their account to be truthful,

OR

Identified inconsistencies and anomalies which suggest their account to be suspicious and may be lies and needs to be challenged.

Challenge Phase

This is were you challenge the inconsistencies of the EE’s Account!

• Least to most impactive.• Comparative style.• Expose the lies.• Don’t personalise this process.• Pull together all the issues from the interview.

Closure

• Polite

• Positive

• Prospective

Evaluation

What is going to happen now?

Charge

Release

Bail

Has your interview been effective?

How can you improve?

Any Questions?

Iceland Detectives AssociationSeminar 2008

Mr Steve Retford Cert Ed

Specialist Investigative Interview Advisor

Greater Manchester Police

Stephen.retford@gmp.pnn.police.uk