Blame the Suspect’s Perception of the Victim’s Actions and Behavior in Sexual Assault Interrogations

Aug 25, 2021

One of the fundamental principles of Theme Development, (Step 2 of the Reid Nine-Steps of Interrogation), is to shift the blame for the suspect’s criminal behavior to someone or something other than...

False Confessions: The Issues to be Considered

Jun 01, 2021

False Confessions – The Issues to be Considered

In this document we discuss the primary causes of and contributing factors to false confessions, and the Best Practices to follow to...

Understanding the Criminal Mind

Mar 31, 2021

Understanding The Criminal Mind

The courts have demonstrated an understanding that there must be a balance between a criminal suspect’s desire to avoid punishment for the crimes they commit by denying...

25 Reid Video Tips

Jan 11, 2021

September October 2020 Investigator Tip

The September/October 2020 Investigator Tip provides you with links to 25 brief video presentations from our YouTube channel - The Reid Technique Tips, that...

The foundation for all efffective interrogation techniques - projection and rationalization

Jan 11, 2021

As a youngster we have all had the experience of hitting one of our siblings, and then when questioned by our parents we justified our actions by saying, “he hit me first.”...

Personality Disorders

Sep 01, 2019

(This Investigator Tip consists of selections from a chapter in our book, The Investigator Anthology)

Part One

While both psychologically healthy and psychologically impaired individuals can be guilty of a crime, in...

What Questions Should be Asked to Determine the Voluntariness and Validity of a Subject’s Confession?

Aug 01, 2019

While there are numerous issues to consider in the process of evaluating the voluntariness and validity of a subject’s confession, the following questions may be helpful in making such an assessment.

...

The Non-Confrontational Approach

Apr 16, 2019

The Non-Confrontational Interview

John E. Reid and his colleague, Northwestern Professor of Law Fred E. Inbau, developed the non-confrontational interview as an integral part of any questioning of a subject in...

A Description of The Reid Technique

Nov 01, 2018

The Reid Technique is oftentimes just thought of and is frequently referred to as simply an interrogation process - it is much more than that. The Reid Technique is a structured interview...

Gang Crime Interrogation

Sep 01, 2018

Gang-related homicides and assaults are frequently motivated by revenge for acts committed by rival gangs against members of a suspect’s crew. Through effective theme development, an interrogator uses sound reasoning...

Human Trafficking Investigations: Interrogation Themes that Get Confessions

Jul 02, 2018

An astute investigator alert to the signs of human trafficking can launch a line of questioning designed to reveal the offender’s conduct

Human traffickers can abduct or lure susceptible individuals for many reasons...

Clarifying Misrepresentations About Law Enforcement Interrogation Techniques

Mar 01, 2018

Over the years social psychologists, defenses attorneys and some academicians have offered a number of criticisms of current law enforcement interrogation practices, and, in particular, the Reid Technique. Some of these criticisms...

What Words Should I Use When I start an Interrogation?

Jan 01, 2018

The flexibility and effectiveness of the Reid Technique of Interviewing and Interrogation is what makes it the most widely used investigative interviewing technique in the world.

The Reid Nine-Steps of...

The Fundamental Foundation of THE REID TECHNIQUE OF INTERROGATION®: Empathy and Understanding

Sep 01, 2017

The Reid Technique consists of a three-phase process beginning with Fact Analysis, followed by the Behavior Analysis Interview (which is a non-accusatory interview designed to develop investigative and behavioral information), followed by...

Ten Do’s and Don’ts for Obtaining a Reliable Confession

Jan 01, 2017

Physical coercion, torture, duress, denial of rights, threats, and promises of leniency are the poison pills of legally admissible, reliable, and voluntary confessions. Obviously we should not engage in such behaviors or...

Positive Persuasion - Motivating the Subject to Tell the Truth

Nov 01, 2016

Positive persuasion consists of a variety of persuasive statements offered by the investigator to motivate, influence, and persuade the subject to want to tell the truth. The information developed in the...

When Co-Offenders are Being Interrogated Consider "Playing One Against the Other"

Sep 01, 2016

When two or more persons have collaborated in the commission of a criminal offense and are later apprehended for questioning, there is usually a nagging fear on the part of each participant...

Over 300 What's new page entries

Aug 01, 2016

p> Over the last 14 years we have posted over 300 entries on our "What's New" page at www.reid.com. For this July/August Investigator Tip we have listed many of them that you...

Interrogation Themes: Five Strategies for Selecting Interrogation Themes

Mar 01, 2016

Identifying the most effective arguments to present to a suspect during an interrogation will help you elicit the truth

A frequent question I'm asked by cops during my interviewing and interrogation...

Making a Murderer: THE REID TECHNIQUE® and Juvenile Interrogations

Jan 01, 2016

In the Netflix program, Making a Murderer, which examines the conviction of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey for the sexual assault and murder of Teresa Halbach, there is a reference made by...