Law enforcement officers are trained on how to get people to talk. You might think they’re just having a casual conversation with you, but it’s possible – and in many situations, likely – that they’re merely setting you up for a confession, regardless of whether you actually committed a crime.
What are the most common strategies that law enforcement officers use to get confessions?
And what can you do to protect yourself in these scenarios?
Strategies Law Enforcement Uses to Get Confessions
These are just some of the most popular strategies used by law enforcement officers in the pursuit of extracting confessions.
1. Good cop/bad cop. According to attorney Rowdy G. Williams, the good cop/bad cop routine typically goes something like this: “The suspect is brought into a dark, sometimes unpleasant room and made to sit in a chair alone until the officer decides to come in. By forbidding the suspect from having any outside contact with friends or family or any way to let them know what has happened, the police hope to isolate the suspect and make them feel alone and like they have no other way out but to talk.” From there, another investigator is introduced, and the two present investigators begin to play different roles. One attempts to intimidate and harshly question the suspect, while the other tries to be more passive, friendly, and reassuring. This dynamic keeps the suspect on edge and in a vulnerable emotional state, which makes them much easier to persuade. Eventually, they will likely turn to the “good cop” to provide them with some relief from the stressful situation.
2. Informal questioning. Sometimes, investigators forego any formal technique and try to extract a confession through the art of informal questioning. In this type of environment, the investigator doesn't act like an investigator; they simply act like a friend. They try very hard to build rapport and try to phrase their questions in a way that makes them seem unintimidating. Many suspects are lured in by this facade, earning a false sense of security that prompts them to eventually confess.
3. The Reid technique. In the Reid technique, officers follow a three-phase process that starts with an examination of facts, proceeds with behavior analysis interviews, and ends with an interrogation. The interrogation itself includes a variety of steps, starting with positive confrontation and blame shifting; suspects are given an opportunity to explain the circumstances of the crime and/or blame someone or something else. Suspect denials are minimized, and interrogators focus on why the crime was committed, rather than who committed the crime. Interrogators often present socially preferable alternative explanations for why the crime happened, coaxing the suspect into indirectly admitting that they committed the crime.
4. Leading questions. Some interrogators also use leading questions to gradually guide suspects to say what they want them to say. Instead of asking something like, “Where were you on the night of the 8th?” They’ll ask something like, “On the night of the 8th, you were standing outside your ex’s house, weren’t you?” This makes it difficult for suspects to propose alternative scenarios and makes them feel like interrogators have already figured out what happened.
5. Lying about evidence. Contrary to popular belief, law enforcement officers can and do lie. One of the most common techniques in interrogations is to lie about evidence. Officers may claim they have video footage, eyewitness testimony, or other compelling evidence that the suspect has committed the crime. They want the suspect to feel like the case is already solved, so that the suspect will come forward with a confession to end this stressful situation of interrogation.
6. Lying about accomplices. Similarly, law enforcement officers may lie about accomplices and surrounding circumstances of the crime. They may claim that someone else in a group of presumed co-conspirators has already ratted them out – but this may or may not be the case. Often, this triggers a defensive reaction in the suspect, leading them to spill details they wouldn't otherwise share.
7. Lying about positive outcomes. Some interrogators may also lie about potential positive outcomes that arise as a result of the confession. For example, they may claim to be able to offer the suspect a reduced sentence and help the suspect if they confess.
8. The PEACE method. The PEACE method is relatively new; PEACE itself is an acronym that stands for “Preparation and Planning, Engage and Explain, Account, Closure, and Evaluate.” Interviews in this method are designed to be highly engaging with active listening and clear, simple questions. In this method, jargon, leading questions, and intimidation tactics should be avoided.
How to Protect Yourself
How do you protect yourself under these circumstances?
· Understand that police officers are manipulators. First, acknowledge that police officers are manipulators willing to do anything legal to get you to confess. They are not your friends. They are not on your side.
· Say as little as possible. Exercise your right to remain silent. It's true that anything you say can and will be used against you.
· Insist on getting a lawyer. Keep insisting on getting a lawyer until you have one at your side.
Most people are susceptible to police interrogation tactics. There's a reason they've been so successful in extracting confessions in the past. It's on you to better understand these confession extraction methods so you can better protect yourself against them.
