Victim Interview Evaluation: Strengths and Weaknesses This assignment will identify the strengths and weaknesses regarding the fundamentals of the interviewing, and whether the seven stages in the interview sequence were properly used by the detective in film Interviewing victims and witnesses. Many Successful victim and witness interviews use foundational knowledge to explore and evaluate the role of six key factors and seven stages have in successful interviews. I will carefully examine the effectiveness of the structure that was used by the detective, and identify the presence of proxemics, micro-skills involved in listening, the development of rapport, and possible barriers to communication. Introduction …show more content…
Most interviews require strategic planning and relevant questions to be able to gather enough information. There were many things that the detective did great for example, in the first scene when the victim and the detective walked in, he immediately asked her to sit in a comfortable chair, got her a cup of coffee and asked her if she needed anything else. He quickly proceeded to explain what the interview is going to be about, removing any doubt or apprehension that she may experience during the interview. The detective began the interview with," Don't try to remember things you can't…if you need to stop anytime, just tell me." (Victim Interview,1998). Which essentially created a rapport between the detective and the victim. The detective began the interview with an open-ended question, asking the victim to tell him what happened from the start. While the victim was talking, he did not interrupt, but was rather patient with her, nodding and making eye contact continuously. During a one point of the video, the woman began crying, unable to hide her distress, to which the investigator reacted quickly responding "No pressure, I know you are upset... Are you alright to carry on?" (Victim Interview, 1998). In my opinion, this is a great technique to use when one is dealing with an elderly victim in distress. As the investigator carefully listened, he then recapped all the information back to the victim making sure it is correct. We see this throughout the whole film, where the detective continuously seeks victim's validation. Another thing that I found interesting is the way that the investigator used the cognitive approach on the victim, to stimulate her memory. He politely asked her to draw a sketch of the area that the crime happened at, then he proceeded to make her retell everything from the beginning but in the present tense. As she was struggling, he patiently guided her, by saying "Show me", "Describe to
...w enforcement to solve cases, is highly dependent on my ability to investigate and interpret evidence. Thus, if I did not know about the laws of a “knock and talk,” I could potentially ruin a case by getting something thrown out due to my failure of “knock and talk”. In other words, this case will highly affect any investigator in trying to solve a case. The rules of a “knock and talk” are the same as before, this case just elaborated on them. In my field this case will constantly affect the way I handle and talk with subjects near their home. I will also be subjected to the many details necessary to show that a suspect acted voluntarily and consensually in a “knock and talk” as well as be very careful and alert of my own body movements and words. This entire case provides a lot of information to remember about “knock and talks” that will be helpful in the long run.
Because police investigators are usually under pressure to arrest criminals and safeguard the community, they often make mistakes. Sometimes, detectives become convinced of a suspect 's guilt because of their criminal history or weak speculations. Once they are convinced, they are less likely to consider alternative possibilities. They overlook some important exculpatory evidence, make weak speculations and look only for links that connect a suspect to a crime, especially if the suspect has a previous criminal record. Picking Cotton provides an understanding of some common errors of the police investigation process. During Ronald Cottons interrogation, the detectives did not bother to record the conversation “But I noticed he wasn 't recording the conversation, so I felt that he could be writing anything down”(79) unlike they did for Jennifer. They had already labelled Ronald Cotton as the perpetrator and they told him during the interrogation “Cotton, Jennifer Thompson already identified you. We know it was you”(82). Jenifer Thompson 's testimony along with Ronald Cotton 's past criminal records gave the detectives more reason to believe Ronald committed the crime. Ronald Cotton stated “ This cop Sully, though, he had already decided I was guilty.”(84). Many investigative process have shortcomings and are breached because the officials in charge make
At the Muncie police department victim advocacy, I have increased my ability of communication in a few different ways. The first way that I have increased my communication skills is in the writing area. The way that I have increased my writing skills is by writing briefs about the police reports that come in to the office. The police reports that come in the victim advocate officer are ones that deal with people who have been victimized (battery, domestic violence, or threats of harm). The reason why I write briefs about this is because they have to be put into a police outreach system where letters are sent out to the victim offering the services of the victim advocate office. These briefs have taught me to provide as much information as possible
I wanted to look at the investigative and criminal procedures following the arrest of an alleged criminal and the powerful effects via testimonies and evidence (or lack thereof) it can have on a case.There is an importance of the courts in regards to crime that can’t be over looked. The primary function of the criminal justice system is to uphold the established laws, which define what we understand as deviant in this society.
The first step of the interrogation begins with direct positive confrontation. This is where the interrogator confronts the suspects in a manner that creates an understanding that there is evidence against them. This evidence may or may not be true but the evidence is exaggerated so that it i...
The first phase of the interview process is planning details of what the interview will consist of. A witness assessment is what allows interviewers to find out information about the child and what happened to the child. The interviewer collects information about the child such as the name, age, gender, ethnicity, current living situation, physical/learning disability, medications taken, emotional state, any contact with public services, and relationship to the offender (Lamb, Michael E.; La Rooy, David J.; Malloy, Lindsay C.; Katz, Carmit (2011). It’s useful to find what hobbies may interest the child to build a connection with them. It also helps to find out any misunderstandings of the event that could lead to a false accusation (Forensic Interviewing Protocol). This helps distinguish any possible missing information and if the child is being accurate with their story.
The procedures depicted of the criminal justice system on television are complex, inaccurate, and implausible portrayals of what actually occurs. These shows do not show the planning, timing, and effort that is put into the maintenance of a crime scene. Investigators show up, take some photographs, and continue to the lab for results in a matter of minutes (Forensic Science Degree). Television leaves out the uneventful procedures that are essential in a real crime scene. They also neglect to show how much time is spent on each case, which can take months or even years to finish. There are many techniques and procedures which seem to be forgotten or simplified in the shows. Crime scenes require a variety of people, including the skills of photographers, sketch artists, evidence recorders, and other team members. Intricate notes and sketches of the crime scene give all of the details requ...
It's January 11, 2016 and I am getting ready to attend the victim impact panel. My thoughts going into this event are filled with uncertainty. I suspect, I will hear many things that will hit home and cause me to reflect on my personal situation. As I look back, I consider myself very fortunate. I was not in a car accident. I did not hurt anyone or myself. I thank god every day for that fact. As I approached the justice center, I suspect the story I am about to hear will have a very different ending. I clear security and proceed to the third floor. My initial thoughts as I sit with the attendees is that I am surprised by the number of young people and women attending the meeting. Shortly after checking in, the probation officer informed the group that the speaker had to cancel.
For both Cognitive and Forensic interviewing, it has been found to be more effective with older children than with younger for a variety of reasons. These reasons include the natural linguistic and cognitive development of children. Older children are more likely to remember the more information about the situation they experienced through a Cognitive interview than younger children, which suggests that may be most beneficial for them. Forensic interviewing should work better with younger children than Cognitive interviewing in that it allows freedom to give unique answers and considers the child’s age and developmental level more than a Cognitive interview does. In many interviews, children with intellectual disabilities need more prompting
On February 27th, 2014 I had the pleasure to interview Detective Vincent Velazquez who was referred to me by Professor Paul Guerrucci. Vincent currently works at the Atlanta Police Department located in 226 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30303. On the day of the interview, I was a little anxious since this was actually the first time I interview a crime investigator, however Vincent was very professional and he allowed me to record the entire conversation. I was able to ask questions about his personal life, full details of his profession, current case assignments, criminal investigation procedures and existing problems in the investigation process.
To show an unbiased and educated examination of the five cases involving questionable interrogations, I will give information on the crime that occurred, the problems with the interrogations and other evidence, who is at fault for problems within the case, how the defendant was cleared (if he was), and the compensation and future changes that were a direct response to these cases provided that they occurred or are in the process of occurring. The five cases that I will examine involve the accused: George Allen, Hunter Johnson, Peter Reilly, Michael Crowe, and Reggie Clemons. Each case is significantly different yet showcases many acts of injustice within the justice system.
The criminal justice system has a lot people and organizations incorporated within it. Within this system there are police, correctional officers, offenders, lawyers, etc. The criminal justice system is set up for people to keep the society in order. For my semester project I interviewed a friend of mine who I gave a pseudonym of Bart Malone. Mr. Malone was unnecessarily arrested a few months ago while in the passenger seat. He was accused of committing illegal acts which caused him to become a victim. I conducted an interview over the phone with Mr. Malone so he could share his story and give detailed information through the questions I asked him. After the interview I replayed the tape and really focused on the answers he gave to the questions. I was able to gain knowledgeable insight about the criminal justice system.
During my interview with Dr. James R. Metts, Sheriff of Lexington County S.C., he informed me of the procedures involved in the Shari Faye Smith and Debra May Helmick case. He noted that "the Behavioral Unit in the FBI was extremely helpful in solving this case by giving us a psychological profile of the perpetrator and advising us on how to handle the media throughout the case" (Metts).
When reporting crime events the media focus only on the negative scenarios that can impact the society, these events are to be know as “newsworthy” (Hall, 1978). Newsworthy crime news is formed through the selective approach taken by the editors where only the main idea of the topic is likely to be reproduced in the media. This is due to crime is not an open event as witnesses are limited hence the selective approach allows the editor to only report the thrilling parts of the crime. (Stuart Hall, 1978: p.53) quoted “‘News’ is the end-product of a complex proves which begins with a systematic sorting and selecting of events and topics according to a socially constructed set of categories”. As a result, this approach has formed bias opinions towards crime reporting as it’s presented in the editor’s point of view (Hall, 1978). The media hence only targets crime with events that is unexpected and events that’s viewed as out of the norm compared to the majority of the society. Alternatively, this changes the view of audiences as they view the society as a ‘problematic reality’ (Hall, 1978). The majority of world is therefore mislead by the fictional reporting of crime as many consumers
In these two cases an investigator has to make sure that they ask the right questions in order to get the answers they need to process the suspect. Unlike, murder a kidnapping or a rape normally have witness to the crime and they can be interviewed to find out what they saw take place. One example of information they can give you is what type of car the suspect may have been driving during a kidnapping or a rape if they saw the person leave the crime scene, what they were wearing, their height and weight, as well as hair color or eye color if they are close enough to see them. Other questions that could be asked of a witness would be what type of clothing the suspect was wearing, did it seem as if the victim knew the suspect and did they see the suspect around the victim or following the victim. All of these things are very important because the smallest details can lead to the biggest crime solving tool in a case. Therefore, as detectives you want to make sure to ask all of the questions that will give you particular details about everything they saw as a witness or