Chapter 3 Flashcards
Psychology of Police Investigation
Reid Model of Interrogation
3 part process in order to obtain a confession from someone which includes
- gathering evidence, and interviewing witnesses and victims
- conducting a non accusatory interview
- conducting a accusatory interview
Rapport building
This is when the interrogator shows sympathy and an understanding of circumstances to the suspect in question, and trying to persuade them to confess as it is their best option
What are the nine steps of an accusatory interview
- Suspect is confronted with guilt
- Psychological themes developed to allow suspect to justify, rationalize, or excuse crime
- Statements of denial are interrupted to prevent suspect from gaining an upper hand
- Interrogator overcomes suspects objections to charges and suspect then becomes quiet and withdrawn
- Once the suspect becomes withdrawn interrogator reduces distance between them
- Sympathy and understanding are exhibited by interrogator and suspect is urged to come clean
- Suspect is offered face-saving explanations for crime
- Suspect accepts responsibility for crime and interrogator develops admission into confession
- Interrogator gets suspect to write and sign confession
Minimization techniques
These tactics are used to lull suspects into false sense of security, with sympathy, excuses, and justification
Maximization techniques
Scare tactics are used to intimidate the suspect, such as exaggerating seriousness of the crime or making false claims of evidence
Are police allowed to lie about evidence in an interrogation
Police are allowed to claim false evidence in an investigation, but they are unable to use an evidence found if they do this by using force or threats against the suspect
What are some problems with the reid model
The actual interrogation does not begin until an interrogator determines guilt in a suspect, if the suspect is suggestible or anxious they may be influenced to admit guilt when they are not guilty, and if police feel a suspect is already guilty this may change the course of the interrogation
Mr. Big Technique
Police form a fake mob and try to have a person commit a crime to find them guilty, asking them to commit a lessor crime and confess to another crime to be brought into the group
PEACE model
acronym for Planning and preparation, engage and explain, account, closure and evaluation
where is the PEACE model commonly used
It is commonly used in Europe, argument has been made by europeans that it is more effective than the reid model
What are the 3 types of false confessions
- Voluntary
- Coerced complaint
- Coerced internalized
Voluntary false confession
When someone voluntarily confessions to a crime without elicitation, and may arise out of desire for notoriety or inability to distinguish between fact and reality
Coerced complaint false confession
This is when a suspect confesses but is aware of their innocence, and can be caused by interrogation techniques and they confess to avoid further interrogation, or threatened punishment, or gain a promised benefit
Compliance
Refers to the tendency to go along with demands even though the person may not agree with them
Suggestibility
Refers to the tendency to accept information communicated during questioning
What are the consequences of false confessions
People end up being convicted of crimes they did not commit, the police end up wasting time that could be used to identify the real offender, this gives the offender the possibility to commit more crimes
What is criminal profiling used for
- Narrow down a list of suspects
- Provide a new line of inquiry
- Flush out the offender
- Determine seriousness of threats
- Give advice on interrogation techniques
Deductive Profiling
Prediction of background characteristics through analysis of evidence and relies on logical reasoning and underlying logic might be faulty
Inductive Profiling
Prediction of characteristics based on comparison of a particular offender’s crime with crimes committed by other known offenders, sampling is a problem
What are the 5 main steps to generating the profile
- Study the nature of the act and the types of people who have committed similar crimes in the past
- Detailed analysis of the crime scene
- In-depth examination of the background and activities of the victim or victims
- Determination of possible motives for all people involved
- Development of description of perpetrator based on characteristics of crime scene and past criminal’s behaviours
Modus Operandi
M.O
This is what an offender has to do to be successful
Signature
Something the offender must do to fulfil their needs emotionally or sexually and it is often the reason for the crime
Mass murder
More than 3 victims in one location and within one event
Spree murder
Killings at 2 or more locations with no emotional cooling off period in between
Serial murder
Killings at 3 or more locations with a emotional cooling off period in between, could be years or months
Organized murderers
Plan out the murder, target random victims, leave very few clues at the scene and act out in violent fantasiesD
Disorganized murderers
Do not plan crime, obtain victims by chance and behave randomly during crime
What are the characteristics that profilers try to predict
Offender age, race, sex, IQ, educational history, hobbies, family background, residence, criminal history, employment status, psychosexual development, and post-offence behaviour
What is VICLAS
Violent Crime Linkage Analysis System. Police in every province use this and everyone is linked to mainframe in Ottawa.
Three criticisms of the validity of profiling
- Based on theoretical model of personality that lacks empirical support
- Contain information so vague it fits many suspects
- Professional profilers may be no better than untrained individuals in constructing profiles
Geographic profiling
Uses crime scene locations to predict area where offender strikes, and is primarily used for prioritizing potential suspects
