PEACE method of interrogation: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Investigative interviewing procedure}}

The '''PEACE method of investigative interviewing''' is a five stage<ref>{{Cite news |first=Terry |last=Gross |author-link=Terry Gross |date=December 5, 2013 |title=Beyond Good Cop/Bad Cop: A Look at Real-Life Interrogations |url=https://www.npr.org/2013/12/05/248968150/beyond-good-cop-bad-cop-a-look-at-real-life-interrogations |work=[[Fresh Air]] |publisher=[[NPR]] |access-date=October 13, 2016}}</ref><ref>Brent Snook, Joseph Eastwood, and W. Todd Barron, "[https://www.mun.ca/psychology/media/production/memorial/academic/faculty-of-science/psychology/media-library/research/brl/Snook_et_al_2014_CCLR.pdf The next stage in the evolution of interrogations: The PEACE model]", ''Canadian Criminal Law Review'' (2014),</ref> process in which investigators try to build rapport and allow a criminal suspect to provide their account of events uninterrupted, before presenting the suspect with any evidence of inconsistencies or contradictions. It is used into contrastobtain toa full account of events from a suspect rather than just seeking a confession - which is the goal of the [[Reid technique]], in which interrogators are more aggressive, accusativeaccusatory, and threatening in terms of proposing consequences for the suspect's failure to confess to the crime.

The PEACE method was developed in Britain, andwhich "encourages more of a dialogue between investigator and suspect".<ref name="PEACE_2015">{{cite news |last=Quan |first=Douglas |date=July 30, 2015 |title=RCMP adopts gentler grilling of suspects |url=https://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/rcmp-adopts-gentler-grilling-of-suspects |work=[[The StarPhoenix]] |___location=Saskatoon |access-date=January 13, 2015}}</ref> was developed in Britain in response to the realisation that psychologically coercive techniques often led to [[false confessions]]. In 2015, the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] adopted a new standard influenced by the PEACE model. Sergeant Darren Carr, who trains police with the new approach, described it as "less [[Kojak]] and more [[Dr. Phil]]". There is some resistance to adopting the PEACE model in Canada.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kelly |first=Christopher E. |last2=Miller |first2=Jeaneé C. |last3=Redlich |first3=Allison D. |last4=Kleinman |first4=Steven M. |date=May 2013 |title=A taxonomy of interrogation methods. |url=http://doi.apa.org/getdoi.cfm?doi=10.1037/a0030310 |journal=Psychology, Public Policy, and Law |language=en |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=165–178 |doi=10.1037/a0030310 |issn=1939-1528|url-access=subscription }}</ref> This approach eschewsavoids the use of deceptive information to overwhelm suspects. It emphasizes information gathering over eliciting confessions and discourages investigators from presuming a suspect's guilt.<ref name="PEACE_2015"/>

== Stages ==

=== Planning and preparation ===

This requires investigators to find out as much as they can about the incident under investigation, including who needs to be interviewed and why.<ref name="ReferenceA">[https://www.police.govt.nz/sites/default/files/publications/investigative-interviewing-literature-2005.pdf Investigative interviewing: The Literature, New Zealand Police, September 2005].</ref>

=== Engage and Explain ===

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=== Account — Clarification and challenge ===

This stage is where interviewer attempts to obtain a full account of events from the subject without interrupting. Once the subject has explained what happened, the interview caninterviewer can ask follow up questions which allow him, or her,them to expand and clarify their account of events. If necessary this may involve challenging aspects of the interviewee's story if contradictory information is available.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

=== Closure ===

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=== Evaluation ===

This stage requires the interviewer to examine whether they achieved what they wanted from the interview; to review the status of the investigation in the light of any new information that was received; and to reflect upon how well the interview went and what, if anything, could have been done differently.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

== Effectiveness ==

How well the PEACE method works appears to depend primarily on how well trained the interviewers are. In a study published in the British Psychological Society related to benefit fraud, 63% of (non-police) interviewers who displayed an acceptable level of competence in their interviewing ability obtained comprehensive accounts or full confessions from subjects. Even when subjects denied any offending, these interviewers still obtained a comprehensive account of what happened. This reaffirmed the importance of eliciting and fully testing the suspects’ accounts of events. In the same study, 92% of interviewers who did not display competence in their interviewing technique failed to obtain a comprehensive account of events or a confession from their subjects.<ref> name="bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com">Dave Walsh & Ray Bull. [https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1348/135532509X463356 What really is effective in interviews with suspects? A study comparing interviewing skills against interviewing outcomes]. Legal and Criminological Psychology (2010), 15, 305–321 2010 The British Psychological Society</ref>

However, skill and training are not the only factors at play. Half the suspects in this study confessed even though the interviewers' skills were considered less than satisfactory. This suggests that "some suspects enter the interview room having decided to confess and will carry out this decision irrespective of the investigator’s performance".<ref> Dave Walsh & Ray Bull. [https://name="bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com"/doi/pdf/10.1348/135532509X463356 What really is effective in interviews with suspects? A study comparing interviewing skills against interviewing outcomes]. Legal and Criminological Psychology (2010), 15, 305–321 2010 The British Psychological Society</ref>

In addition to investigations into benefit fraud, several studies have noted that training the police in the PEACE model has also produced beneficial results.<ref> Dave Walsh & Ray Bull. [https://name="bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com"/doi/pdf/10.1348/135532509X463356 What really is effective in interviews with suspects? A study comparing interviewing skills against interviewing outcomes]. Legal and Criminological Psychology (2010), 15, 305–321 2010 The British Psychological Society</ref>

== International adoption ==

As atof November 2017, the PEACE method has been adopted by police forces in Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and parts of Canada. Vietnam and Indonesia wereare also considering using this approach.<ref>[https://www.fis-international.com/assets/Uploads/resources/Schollum-PEACE.pdf Bringing PEACE to the United States]. Mary Schollum, Policing and Criminal Justice Consultant, Cambridge, England. The Police Chief. </ref>

==References==

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[[Category:Criminal justice]]

[[Category:Interrogation techniques]]

{{Criminal-law-stub}}