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Criminal Justice & Law

Police Techniques

The requirements of all elements of law enforcement grow more and more technical every day. With new techniques developing all the time that include more sophisticated analysis, problem solving and advanced technology applications alongside in-depth community relations, police techniques are more complex than ever before. Police work requires a constant commitment to new methods of crime prevention and mitigation alongside a broad understanding of sociology, public health, and the overall administration of justice. Police operate every day inside an ever-evolving world of violence where criminal organizations and markets can be particularly influential, emergency and public health issues that constitute a national or international threat can come up at a moment’s notice and police officers are on the front lines of defense for our communities. To this end, police officers must have an array of applicable skills from combating and preventing crime in the first place, to solving crimes through strategic interviewing and interrogation of involved individuals and proper, legal criminal procedures necessary for the success of the legal system as well.

Throughout this course, students will have the opportunity to study those techniques and strategies used by successful police officers every day. In studying both traditional and new techniques in this field, students will have the opportunity to review various case studies to apply their own analysis and knowledge, ensuring they get a comprehensive understanding of what’s involved in this career and leave with realistic expectations for this career choice and the further community training required. This course explores policing techniques and tactics used to combat and prevent crime. Emphasis is placed on the knowledge and working skills involved in the art of interviewing and interrogating witnesses and suspects, and the relevant legal parameters that must be followed during field procedures.

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:

  • Describe the personal qualities that affect the interview process
  • Research, using articles from the Internet, and describe how to successfully interview and interrogate witnesses
  • Differentiate an interview from an interrogation
  • Formulate a list of questions that can be used in purposeful interrogation
  • Identify the steps in the interview process
  • Compare the traditional interview method with the cognitive interview method
  • Identify the constitutional and legal considerations that must be made during a criminal interrogation
  • Using case studies, analyze the techniques used by officers in obtaining a confession and make suggestions for improvement
  • Describe interview approaches for special populations

This class includes the following eText:
Gosselin. (2007). Smart Talk: Contemporary Interviewing and Interrogation; 1/E; ISBN: 0131146963

This course does not include tutoring.

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