University of Portsmouth

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University of Portsmouth

• 2nd International Investigative Interviewing
  Conference

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Call handling centres an evidential opportunity
or threat?

• Chris Ambler MSc
• Dr Becky Milne

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Introduction

• Research completed as part of MSc
• Focus of research upon undetected household
  burglary
• Broad initial research - to identify factors
  leading to the identification of suspects and
  sources of information
• Research refined - to examine initial policing
  contact and interviews with victim/witness

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Introduction

• Outline of presentation
• Aims of research
• Previous research
• Methodology
• Results
• Observations and possible implications
• Questions?

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Research aims

• To identify the sources of information regarding
  undetected burglary suspects
• To consider how information regarding burglary
  suspects is elicited during the initial police
  investigation
• To consider how information regarding burglary
  suspects is recorded at key stages during the
  initial police investigation
• To identify the question types used during
  initial interviews with victims and witnesses

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Previous work

• Coupe, Griffiths, (2000)
• Innes, (2003)
• Silke, (2003)
• Ashworth, (1995)
• Meehan, (2003)
• ACPO, (2005)
• Ainsworth, (1995)
• Loftus, Palmer (1974), Boon, Baxter, (2000).
• Milne, Bull, (1999)

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Methodology

• Medium sized police force
• One large BCU urban/rural 407k
• 728 burglaries (1/7/04 to 31/12/04)
• 667 undetected
• Sample 86
• 22 with suspect name
• 32 with suspect information not name
• 32 no suspect information

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Methodology

• Phase one - documentary examination of all 86
  crime records, followed by
• Phase two - examination of tape recorded call
  handling interviews with victims and witnesses
• 19 taped interviews examined
• 5 interview records not used

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Methodology - initial crime investigation, the
process
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Methodology phase one

• Examination of
• The incident serial
• Victim and witness statements
• House to house enquiry reports
• The crime report
• 52 categories of information recorded
• Analysis of information - research design
  adjusted

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Methodology phase two

• Detailed examination of documents from 32 cases
  containing suspect information
• Tape recording of initial call
• Incident serial
• Officer deployment recording (not used)
• Witness statement
• Crime report

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Methodology phase two

• Information categories recorded on grid
• Person description
• Object
• Action (later omitted)
• Surroundings (later omitted)
• Person speech
• Subjected to comparative analysis

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Methodology phase two

• Five questions asked
• What was the total amount of information recorded
  at each stage?
• Was the information the same?
• Had the information been added to?
• Had the information changed?
• Was any information missing?
• Question types used during initial interview -
  recorded

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Methodology phase two

• Question types recorded
• Open
• Closed
• Leading
• Forced choice
• Multiple questions

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Results 32 cases with suspect information

• Victim provided description in 20 cases
• 8 cases were distraction burglaries with elderly
  victims
• Other information sources included victim carer,
  neighbour, other witness, police

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Results - 14 cases where interview tapes were
available
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Results - 14 cases where interview tapes were
available
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Results - 14 cases where interview tapes were
available

• Questioning types and number recorded
• Excluded name, address, contact number.
• Total questions recorded 174
• Closed 124 (71)
• Leading 31 (18)
• Multiple 10 (6)
• Forced choice 5 (3)
• Open 4 (2)

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Results, a case study - 86 year old victim of
distraction burglary

• Case study

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Results a case study - section of initial
interview with 86 year old victim

• Q 1 Was he wearing uniformor plain clothes?
• R No in civilian
• Q 2 Was he a white male?
• R Yes he was white.
• Q 3 How old would you say?
• R Id say in his thirties, he had a cold.
• Q 4 Did he have a southern accent or was it
  northern?
• R No, no just an ordinary accent.
• Q 5 What, the accent I have at the moment.
• R Ye.. (interrupted).

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Results a case study - section of initial
interview with 86 year old victim

• Q 6 Yeah southern accent, okay, what was he
  wearing?
• R Dark, rather dark suit.
• Q 7 Dark suit?
• R I dont think it was black, it was very dark
  grey?
• Q 8 Dark grey suit, what with a tie on?
• R Oh.. (interrupted).
• Q 9 Was he wearing like trousers and a jacket?
• R Yes, yes.
• Q 10 Was he, was he clean shaven?
• R Yes.

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Observations

• Victims and witnesses provided the majority of
  burglary suspect information
• In most cases the initial police interview with
  the victim or witness is by telephone
• The majority of questions were closed, however
  other inappropriate question types were also used
  
• Information about a suspects description
  obtained from one informant differs at four key
  stages of the initial investigation (case study)

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Implications?

• Post event information and impact upon memory
  subsequent statements
• Conditioning of victims and witnesses to
  questioning style
• Identification of, and response to, vulnerable
  victims
• Treatment of elderly victims and witnesses
• Information provided for those immediately
  responding

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Implications?

• First description
• Impact upon identification procedures
• The linking of offenders and crime scenes
• Call answering targets and quality investigations
• Lost opportunities to deliver justice

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Accurate information is the lifeblood of
criminal investigation

• (Stewart, 1995, p. 1 cited by Milne, Bull, 1999)

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Any questions?

• christopher.ambler_at_sussex.pnn.police.uk

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