Part III Investigative interviewing | Section III Setting up the interview Perception Consideration must be given to how the witness will perceive the venue chosen for the interview. For example, if the investigation relates to a custodial death at a police station, what will civilians think if the investigator insists on them coming to the police station to be interviewed? Where possible, a neutral location should be selected. Confidentiality It is probably unwise to go to someone’s workplace to interview a confidential informant or whistleblower. A location should be chosen that makes it less likely that confidentiality will be compromised. Scene Interviewing a witness at the place where the incident under investigation occurred can be very helpful. Make sure that the interviewee has no objections and that it won’t re-traumatize them. In some cases, it may not be culturally appropriate. However, it may provide useful context and help the interviewee to recall information, particularly if the event was fairly recent. The investigator should find out if there have been any material changes to the scene since the incident occurred and be careful not to contaminate a scene if evidence is still being collected or may be collected in the future. Consideration should also be given to recording the interview on video. If you do not have access to professional video equipment, most smartphones can record short amounts of video. Visiting scenes is discussed in more depth in Chapter 21. Where there is no choice In some cases, there may be no choice about where an interview is conducted, such as when the interviewee is an inmate in a detention facility or a patient in a hospital. If there is reason to believe that the interview is probably being monitored, then the investigator should act accordingly. For example, the questions could be written down and the interviewee asked to respond in writing rather than verbally. That may not be a useful approach if the interviewee cannot read or write or the authorities choose to interrupt the process. However, the fact that they might do so may be compelling evidence that something is not right. If the investigator is told that a statement cannot be taken, demand an explanation. This places the responsibility on to the authorities to justify why they will not let the investigator do their job and protects the credibility and integrity of the investigation. KEY POINTS: CHAPTER 12 • Setting up an interview provides an opportunity to establish rapport with the witness. • Confidentiality is a major issue and must be taken into account when making initial contact with a witness. • If someone else is allowed to be present at the interview, ground rules must be established as to what they may or may not do. • Documentary and other relevant evidence should be requested from the witness when the interview is being arranged. • The safety of those taking part in the interview should always be the main consideration. However, thought also should be given to issues such as convenience, comfort, cost and confidentiality. Chapter 12: Setting up the interview | 77