Improve Police Practice Flashcards
Introduction
January 1998: in the high court in London man was awarded £200,000 compensation, relating to his arrest and subsequent years in prison. He spent 5 helish years in jail after being beaten by a detective to sign a confession. Although, this is unusual, it affects people expectations, therefore the willingness to contribute.
Indian survey: found that police officers said they use a variety of intimidation techniques (Alsion et al 2008). Additionally, the ‘Reid Approach’ used in USA, had been criticised for being coercive to cause false confessions (Leo, 2008).
The reasons for coercion can be justified, as “suspects almost never confess spontaneously but virtually always in response to police pressure” (Leo, 2008, p. 162) and that “Confessions, especially to serious crimes, are rarely made spontaneously. Rather they are actively elicited…typically after sustained psychological pressure.” (Leo, 2008, p. 119).
1994: Williamson (senior officer) said that unethical behaviour in interrogations has undermined public confidence and left the police service was a serious skills deficit of its ability to obtain evidence.
Baldwin’s Pioneering Research
Published in 1980s: prior to very little research which had been published around the world. In only 20 of the 600 interviews he examined did suspects “change their story in the change their story”. Only 9 was the change of heart due to persuasive skills of the interviewer, and only three involved in serious offences. The great majority stick to their starting position whether admission, denial or somewhere in between regardless of how the interview is conducted.
Advantages: Evaluation of 600 interviews provides a lot of data, reliable method, provides high face validity.
This helps to provide valuable insight into on-going research, where persuasive methods can be used but not aggressively to ensure the correct confession is made.
Limitations: are as the is little research prior to this, there is nothing to test this theory out.
Also 20 out of 600 did change their story so this method is not completely effective.
Time For Change
Approach began in 1992 which involved guidance documents and training courses.
PEACE: Planning and Preparation, Engage & Explain, Account, Closure, Evaluation
Found PEACE interviewing was associated with securing greater number of comprehensive accounts, including exculpatory ones as well as admissions/confessions.
PEACE Ranking: Each phase was ranked at acceptable or above level (Skilled or highly Skilled) or unacceptable level (not quite adequate or needs training).
PEACE Outcome: Those who scored higher for planning skills were associated with comprehensive accounts or full confessions than those who scored lower for planning.
Results: Overall 63% of those interviews rated satisfactory or above obtained a comprehensive account of full confession, whereas only 12% for needs further training.
Walsh & Bull, (2012a): PEACE standard of rapport building skills were three times as likely to achieve comprehensive account than those below acceptable standards, and maintenance skills over five times more likely to obtain satisfactory outcomes.
The actual relationship Outska et al (2011)
Police officers, who interviewed adult suspects (who denied committing crime but later confessed). Filled in a questionnaire which included their own level of empathic understanding.
Self-Report: For most types of crime studied (murder, rape, robbery) a significant positive association was found between officers (self-reported) level of empathic understanding and obtaining ‘full confessions’
South Korea: Senior police officer (unpublished) found that dominant interview tactics had a negative influence on confessing/ providing relevant information, but felt self-respect was significantly associated with confessing.
