Why Interview Recording
As courts, district attorneys, individual law enforcement agencies started utilizing recorded interviews, the news started to spread about the values of recording interviews in their entirety. With more states requiring interview recording for some crimes, there is a growing acceptance of—and demand for—interview recording throughout the law enforcement community. The benefits affect everyone involved and range from protecting the rights of both investigators and the accused, to saving time and money in the investigation process.
Interview recording can:
Reduce false claims of misconduct. Many investigators spend hours in court defending what happened in the interview room. Some allegations from the defense are frivolous, but time must be spent showing that legal techniques were used and that the suspect was treated according to his or her rights. A video and audio recording of an interview shows exactly what went on in the interview room. This will often hush frivolous accusations before they arise.
Protect rights. Recording an interview protects both the suspect and the interviewer. In the event that a suspect gets violent or an investigator employs illegal techniques, the recorded interview allows for the truth to come to light and for the rights of everyone involved to be protected.
Provide crucial evidence. In cases where there is no physical evidence, a recorded interview with a suspect or witness where details about the crime are revealed may be the only thing available to show a jury. In this situation, a recorded interview can be the difference between having a case and not having a case.
Provide an authentic record. Most people will agree that audio is good, video is better, and body language says a lot. Body language, demeanor, and energy are things that can only be captured by video. As cases progress to court, the essence of the original interview may be lost unless these visual cues are preserved with a recording that includes both audio and video. It is powerful to bring a recorded interview to court to show the suspect's demeanor and energy at the time of the crime before he or she is cleaned up for court.
Save time. In addition to saving time in court, recorded interviews also save time for investigators when preparing for court. Having a recording system in place can give the interviewer a break from taking notes during the interview. Knowing that the interview is documented can help him/her focus on the interview and not worry about taking notes.
Help investigators provide more accurate testimony. It may take a year before a case goes to court. Without a recording of the interview, the investigator must rely on notes and memory when it comes time to testify. With a recording of the interview, the investigator can refresh his or her memory of what happened directly before being called to testify.
Allow more than one investigator to watch the interrogation in real time. With an interview recording system, it is possible for another investigator to watch the suspect in real time during the interview, and to relay suggestions to the interviewer in a discreet manner. Having more than one person participating in the interview in this manner makes it less likely that a fruitful angle of questioning will be overlooked.
Allow for continuous improvement. Interview recording gives investigators access to the video for the purpose of review and training. Recording of interviews allows interviewing best practices to be easily shared among investigators.
The net effect of these benefits is that, with interview recording, conviction rates go up and investigators can solve more cases.
Cardinal Peak
Cardinal Peak offers companies the fastest, most reliable way to bring embedded products to market.
Testimonials
See how CaseCracker has helped law enforcement agencies become more effective in their investigations.
"We conducted a great deal of market research comparing possible vendors who could provide high quality audio/video recordings of law enforcement interviews. In contacting other federal law enforcement agencies that were already using CaseCracker, we found unanimous strong support and endorsement of Cardinal Peak and their products. We have been very pleased with the timely installation and support we have received, and the professionalism of every Cardinal Peak representative we have dealt with."
Federal Agency Office of Inspector General, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations
