Interview v. Interrogation
People often ask what the difference is between an interview and an interrogation. Many people believe they are the same; the fact is they are completely different and require different techniques and approaches. An interview is simply a conversation between parties in order to ascertain the facts. During any investigation, the investigator must determine all possible facts and verify and act on those facts. Interviews would include knocking on doors and asking people if they have heard or seen anything, talking to a victim to determine what occurred, interviewing witnesses to document what they saw and heard. The interview is basically a fact-finding mission to determine ‘who, what, where, when, and why’.
Hopefully, once the interview process is completed, the investigator will have a suspect identified. Once the suspect is identified, it is time to engage in the interrogation process. For law enforcement purposes, if you plan to speak to a suspect in custody, his/her Miranda warning applies. However, private investigators are not required to provide a Miranda warning and can proceed accordingly. The purpose of the interrogation is to get the suspect to confess to the crime or provide critical information to advance your investigation.
Joe Blaettler is the owner/operator of East Coast Private Investigations of New Jersey, LLC. ECPINJ is a full service private investigations and security consulting firm located in Morristown, NJ. ECPINJ is a private investigations firm serving all of New Jersey to include Morris County, Bergen County, Hudson County, Essex County, Middlesex County, Passaic County, and Sussex County. We specialize in surveillance, witness locate and statements, undercover work, background checks and all many other investigative needs of our clients. In addition to being a private investigator, Joe is also an Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice teaching numerous disciplines within the criminal justice field to include Leadership, Supervision, Ethics, and Contemporary issues in Law Enforcement. Joe also works with attorneys by providing expert opinions regarding Police Policy and Procedures.