As a law enforcement officer, your main role when using Computer Voice Stress Analysis (CVSA) technology for an investigation is to ask the questions during the examination. You will also probably be involved with generating a list of potential questions prior to the...
Interviewing and Interrogation
A Guide to Protecting the Rights of Minors During the Police Interview Process
You’re four-feet tall, and towering over you is a large man with an air of authority, a uniform, and a gun. Worried you are going to be locked up, you don’t say anything, or you leave details out because you don’t want to get yourself or others in trouble. Whether a...
Understanding the Role of Control Questions in Standardized CVSA Interview Formats
“How was your day?” That’s a simple question, but would your answer be the same if I asked the question a different way? “You seem frazzled. Did something happen today?” Or, “What specifically happened today that upset you?” How we formulate questions is just as...
The Value of Talking Less and Listening More During Suspect and Witness Interviews
Have you ever had someone—a boss or your spouse, perhaps—just pepper you with questions without giving you a chance to respond? You automatically go into defense mode. Asking questions may be an important part of communication, but active listening is the real art....
How NITV’s Defense Barrier Removal System Builds Rapport During the Suspect Interview
His arms are folded over his chest; his legs are crossed. You, on the other hand, are sitting back, hands interlaced at the back of your head, legs in that position some women call “manspreading.” The suspect is being defensive, and you are showing you are in control....
Evaluating Laughter as a Deceptive Technique in the Police Interview
Want to hear a cop joke? “How many cops does it take to screw in a light bulb? Just one, but he is never around when you need him.” You’re not laughing—probably because it isn’t that funny. Maybe you fake a laugh if someone tells a joke because you don’t want to...
Combating the Risk of Creating False Memories During Accusatory Police Interrogations
Our memories are a large part of what makes us who we are. That’s why on long-running soap operas, when the writers run out of fresh ideas for a character, they give them amnesia and fill their head with new ideas. While most of those depictions are hyperbole, the...
Interviewing Witnesses After a Traumatic Active Shooter Incident with the Aid of CVSA
When your life is flashing before your eyes or you are hiding in a closet hearing gunshots and screams, how much will you remember? The cacophony of sound makes it hard to distinguish what is happening. You want to contact your loved ones, and maybe you whisper into...
The Value of Mimicry in Police Interviews and Interrogations
When I see you, I also see myself in you. I hear you because you and I connect on some level, whether through words or body language. This is the beginning of falling in love, developing empathy for another person, building a neighborly relationship, or connecting...
Why Rapport Building is an Effective Strategy in Detainee Interviews
In 1967, an American soldier was shot down from the sky, suffered multiple injuries, and became a POW for five years. He was brutally tortured during that time, and while he made a confession and provided limited information, he never gave the North Vietnamese any...