What is the role of an officer when conducting a non-coercive interview with a suspect who may be deceptive?

• A. Establish rapport, open-ended questions, verify facts with independent sources, watch for inconsistencies, avoid coercive pressure.
• B. Use force to elicit confession.
• C. Ignore inconsistencies.
• D. Only ask yes/no questions.

Answer: (A)

In a non-coercive interview, the officer’s role is to build rapport, ask open-ended questions, verify facts with independent sources, watch for inconsistencies, and avoid any coercive pressure. This approach helps uncover the truth by reducing fear and resistance, encouraging the suspect to share details in their own words, and providing multiple opportunities to cross-check what is said against independent records or witnesses. Open-ended questions invite a fuller story and can reveal contradictions, which are key indicators of deception. Verifying information from independent sources adds objectivity and helps confirm or challenge statements. Avoiding coercion preserves admissibility and reliability of information gathered.

Using force to elicit a confession is incompatible with non-coercive interviewing; it often produces false or contaminated information and damages trust and credibility. Ignoring inconsistencies misses important cues that a suspect may be deceptive, and relying only on yes/no questions limits the depth of information and can obscure truth.