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Working towards national standards in police interviewing

18 June 2008

Pro Vice-Chancellor, Industry Engagement and Commercialisation Professor Rod Hill and Head of School of Humanities, Communications and Social Sciences, Professor Erik Eklund (left) Faculty of Arts Business Development Manager Ros King and Dr Georgina Heydon (centre) with members of the Australian Federal Police.

Monash researchers are collaborating with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) on a new training program as part of a broader research project on counter-terrorism policing.

A one-week pilot course on investigative interviewing techniques has been launched, incorporating linguistic as well as psychologically-based approaches to interviewing. Inter-cultural communication issues will also be addressed.

Police investigative interviews are one of the most crucial aspects of a criminal case, providing officers with a unique opportunity to obtain a first-person account of the events in question.

Feedback from the pilot course will help in the design of a standardised training program which could equip police interviewers across Australia with common practical as well as theoretical "tools of the trade."

Forensic linguist Dr Georgina Heydon from the School of Humanities, Communications and Social Sciences is leading a team of researchers on the project.

She said the pilot training scheme was based on cognitive interview strategies popular in police training programs in England and Wales.

"These strategies are designed to build rapport between the interviewer and the interviewee and enhance recall of events," Dr Heydon said.

"In addition to this the Monash course incorporates training on language use, inter-cultural communication and efficient questioning strategies."

There is a strong interest in using these methods in Australia but at present there are no comprehensive courses.

"The pilot course will enable us to test our program with a view to developing a new training course that could be rolled out across the country."

Dr Heydon said a standardised program based on this training method would provide police with a scientific underpinning to their interviewing techniques, particularly in the area of inter-cultural communication.

"The ability of police officers to interview all suspects, witnesses and victims in the most ethical way possible is critical to protecting the integrity of evidence and the successful investigation of crime in Australia," Dr Heydon said.

Dr Heydon said the long-term goal was the creation of international standards in ethical investigative interviewing training.

For further information, contact Dr Heydon or Business Development Manager Rosalind King.