Educing Information: Interrogation - National Intelligence University

Pre-Interrogation Interview and Rapport-Building
The Reid Technique recommends conducting an interview before beginning
the interrogation to “establish a level of rapport and trust with the suspect,” as
well as to learn information about the suspect that will help in the conduct of
the interrogation. 439 The interview, which should last 30 to 45 minutes and is
conducted with “only one investigator interacting with the subject,” 440 should
be non-accusatory and designed to gather information, may be conducted early
during an investigation and in a variety of environments, is free flowing and
relatively unstructured, and should be documented in written notes taken by the
investigator. 441 Like the preparatory investigation, the interview is designed to
elicit information about the offense itself, the suspect or suspects, and the victim or
victims. 442 More important, however, is building rapport, defined as “a relationship
marked by conformity.” 443 The goals of building rapport at the beginning of the
interview are: 1) give the suspect an opportunity to evaluate the investigator
and ideally “conclude that the investigator is professional, nonjudgmental, and
knowledgeable;” 2) allow the investigator to make an initial assessment of the
suspect, such as his “communications skills, general nervous tension, normal
level of eye contact, and a behavioral baseline;” and 3) allow the investigator
to establish a “question-and-answer pattern” for the interaction. 444 At the same
time, “efforts to establish rapport should appear natural and unassuming” so the
suspect does not become “suspicious of the investigator’s motives.” 445 Small talk
works for some suspects, while simply establishing the suspect’s background
information and personal history may be enough for others. 446
All authorities agree on the importance of this initial interview, with its dual
purpose of gathering information and building rapport. Indeed, according to
Aubry, “nearly all interrogations which eventually fail for whatever given reason,
have actually failed during the first few moments of the questioning procedure.” 447
Royal and Schutt write that “resistance to the disclosure of [such] information is
considerably increased if the interviewer is a total stranger, or if something is not
done to establish a friendly and trusting attitude on the part of the suspect.” 448 To
build that rapport, they suggest the following techniques:
1. Identify yourself.
2. Begin the discussion by commenting on a topic of apparent
interest to the subject.
439
Inbau, see note 109, p. 9.
440
John E. Reid and Associates, Defending the Reid Technique of Interrogation, at http://www.reid.
com/educational_info/critictechniquedefend.html, accessed 13 March 2005.
441
Inbau, see note 109, p. 5-6.
442
Id., p. 20-21.
443
Id., p. 93.
444
Id.
445
Id.
446
Id., p. 93-94.
447
Aubry and Caputo, see note 406, p. 148.
448
Royal and Schutt, see note 407, p. 61.
180