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Part II BASIC INVESTIGATIVE SKILLS Chapter 10 INTERVIEWS, INTERPRETERS, AND STATEMENTS WILLIAM F. BLAKE he private investigator’s principal stock in trade is the ability to obtain information from various sources. This assumes the ability to communicate with others. In a multicultural society such as the United States, the English language ability of some residents poses a problem. Also contributing to this problem are the limited linguistic skills of many investigators. To circumvent these issues, it may be nec-essary to interject a third person into the quest for information. This creates another problem to be addressed. Because communication is a two-way exchange between the speak-er and the listener, it is important to be accurate in the interpretation of the speaker’s words. When conducting the interview, it is important to remember that the job of the investigator is to determine whether an incident occurred and to identify a particular person as being the responsible party. It is important to ensure that the focus of any inter-view is on the incident and not the alleged perpetrator. Being impar-tial requires that all individuals be considered innocent until there is adequate proof that a specific individual is responsible. The professional investigator must ensure that the words spoken during an interview do not suggest to the person being interviewed that a specific response is required; it may deliberately or mistakenly indicate a particular individual is responsible for an incident. The investigator must have many skills to be a highly skillful interviewer— some are instinctive and some must be learned. To achieve the goal of 133 134 Basic Private Investigation impartiality and professionalism, the investigator must have some unique attributes, among which are • Observant of body language and locations • Resourceful • Patient • People oriented • Understanding of human nature • Knowledgeable of the legal implications of his or her work • A skilled communicator • Receptive to different ideas and concepts; impartial and receptive to alternate ideas • Possessed of a sense of confidence and well-being • Dedicated to work • Self-starter • Skeptical • Intuitive • Energetic • Good actor • Capable of good judgment • Logical • Intelligent • Imaginative • Of good character • Professional PLANNING THE INTERVIEW As with any part of an investigation, it is important to prepare for an interview. The manner in which you conduct the interview will be directly related to your success. If the investigator uses a rambling approach to obtain information, she or he sends a message to the per-son being interviewed that she or he is not prepared and can probably be easily misled by the interviewee. A structured approach sends a message of professionalism and competence. The most essential preparation is a complete and thorough under-standing of all available information concerning the matter under in - Interviews, Interpreters, and Statements 135 quiry. The first few minutes of an interview with an individual sets the tone for the rest of the encounter. It is the investigator’s responsibility to create a calm atmosphere in which the interviewee will feel relaxed and willing to communicate. This is especially important when the interviewee is a native of a country where investigators are not respect-ed or use unconventional and frequently repressive interview tech-niques. Cultural awareness is a key component of establishing a respectful rapport with the interviewee. Because of cultural background differ-ences, there may be those who are afraid of anyone who appears to have “authority” over them. This may be caused by a uniformed offi-cer, supervisor, or manager or the manner in which the interviewer speaks. Family and cultural loyalty is also an influence to be over-come. A few minutes of general conversation not related to the matter at issue may help to develop mutual rapport with the interviewee. Initially showing a conversational interest in the interviewee as a per-son is a considerable help in reducing the possible fears of the inter-viewee. INTERVIEW METHODOLOGY The interview format and methodology should be known by all interviewers and interpreters prior to the start of the interview. A sec-ond interviewer should be present during the interview of a person of the opposite sex to reduce the probability of a claim of impropriety on the part of the interviewer. There should be a prearranged signal between the interviewers for when it is desirable to change interview-ers. There should also be a separate signal to be used between the interviewers and the interpreter when there is a need to talk out of the hearing of the interviewee. Caution should be exercised when select-ing the interviewers. If the interviewers are significantly larger in stature than the interviewee, there is always the possibility that the interviewee may claim intimidation because of the size of the inter-viewers. Regardless of stature, an interviewer with a calm, noncon-frontational and respectful demeanor will achieve better results. The physical setup of the interview room plays a significant part in reducing problems of perceived restraint of freedom for the intervie- ... - tailieumienphi.vn
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