LAPD Interview Procedures 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The cognitive interview technique is primarily designed to:
- Enhance witness memory through mental context reinstatement (Correct answer)
- Detect deception through behavioral cue analysis
- Elicit confessions through structured confrontation
- Speed up interviews by focusing only on key facts
Correct answer: Enhance witness memory through mental context reinstatement
Cognitive interviewing uses mental context reinstatement and other memory-enhancing strategies to help witnesses retrieve more complete and accurate information.
Question 2: During the rapport-building phase of an interview, the most effective approach is to:
- Immediately confront the interviewee with known evidence
- Use open-ended, neutral questions about non-threatening topics (Correct answer)
- Ask detailed questions about their prior criminal history
- Establish authority by demonstrating case knowledge
Correct answer: Use open-ended, neutral questions about non-threatening topics
Starting with open-ended, neutral questions establishes trust and encourages the interviewee to communicate openly before sensitive topics are introduced.
Question 3: The PEACE model of investigative interviewing is best described as:
- A high-pressure confrontational method for obtaining confessions
- A technique that relies on polygraph results to direct questioning
- A non-coercive, structured framework focused on information gathering (Correct answer)
- A rapid method designed for time-sensitive field investigations
Correct answer: A non-coercive, structured framework focused on information gathering
PEACE (Preparation, Engage/Explain, Account, Closure, Evaluation) is a non-confrontational, information-gathering approach that avoids coercive tactics.
Question 4: A primary criticism of the Reid Technique is that its confrontational approach can:
- Require specialized equipment unavailable to patrol officers
- Take too long for practical use in field investigations
- Be less effective than silence in obtaining confessions
- Lead to false confessions, especially from vulnerable individuals (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Lead to false confessions, especially from vulnerable individuals
Research shows that Reid Technique's minimization and maximization strategies can pressure innocent people, particularly vulnerable individuals, into making false confessions.
Question 5: After a witness completes their free-recall narrative, an officer should next use:
- Specific questions to clarify or expand on details already provided (Correct answer)
- Another round of free-recall to confirm consistency
- Evidence presentation to test their account
- A polygraph to verify truthfulness
Correct answer: Specific questions to clarify or expand on details already provided
After free recall, specific follow-up questions help clarify and expand on the details the interviewee already provided without leading their account.
Question 6: Active listening during an interview is best demonstrated by:
- Interrupting frequently to demonstrate engagement
- Summarizing and reflecting back what the interviewee has said (Correct answer)
- Taking rapid notes without making eye contact
- Asking rapid-fire follow-up questions to maintain momentum
Correct answer: Summarizing and reflecting back what the interviewee has said
Reflecting and summarizing demonstrates understanding and encourages the interviewee to continue sharing information in depth.
Question 7: When a cooperative witness struggles to recall specific details, the best approach is to:
- Inform them that poor recall makes them appear uncooperative
- Use leading questions to fill in the memory gaps
- Use memory-enhancing techniques such as mental reinstatement of context (Correct answer)
- Suggest possible answers to help refresh their recollection
Correct answer: Use memory-enhancing techniques such as mental reinstatement of context
Memory-enhancing techniques help witnesses recall accurately without contaminating their account with officer-suggested details.
LAPD Interview Procedures 3
The cognitive interview technique is primarily designed to: