21-3

GENERAL ORDER 21 -3 INTERVIEW PROCEDURES 1 P L A N T C I T Y P O L I C E D E P A R T M E N T General Order Title INTERVIEW PROCEDURES General Order Number 21-3 Effective: 01/01/1996 Revised: 09/15 /2020 Reviewed: 06/24/2020 CFA: PURPOSE The purpose of this directive is to pro vide gener al procedures for conducting interviews and interrogations during criminal investigations. DISCUSSION Suspect interviews, along with wit ness interviews, are a valu able method of solving crimes. The follow ing procedures will be strictly ad hered to, ensuring the rights of sus pect(s) and witness(es) are not violat ed. INTENT It is the intent of the Plant City Police Department to contact and interview all suspects who could possibly be charged criminally. Suspect interv iews will be con ducted in accor dance with established laws to ensure the suspects’ civil rights are not vio lated in any way. No at tempt will be made to obtain confes - sions or state ments by force, coercion, threat, or promise. A. Interviews are con ducted to seek information from the victim or a wit ness of a specific inci dent. Officers are to adhere to the following pro cedure when conducting in terviews: 1. At the earliest possible moment in the investigation of any incident, the officer will seek out and iden tify those individuals who may have knowl edge of the event and whose informa tion may contribute to the investiga tion. 2. Although circumstances may vary from case to case, the officer should attempt to acquire as much infor mation on the background of the per son to be interviewed as is possi ble. 3. Once witnesses have been iden tified, they are to be separated from each oth er and, if possible, isolat ed from any outside influence. 4. The officer should interview wit nesses as soon as practical while their memory is still fresh and, if possible, in private. 5. The officer should direct the flow of the interview, and do so in a non -suggestive manner. 21-3.1 VICTIM/WITNESS INTER VIEWS RULES AND PROCEDURES GENERAL ORDER 21 -3 INTERVIEW PROCEDURES 2 6. The officer needs to be careful not to lead the witness by asking ques tions which imply the answer or offer an answer. 7. Officers should attempt to allow the witness to continue his/her narra tive of the event in an unin terrupted man ner before ask ing specific ques tions. 8. Questions are to be stated simply and clearly in a systematic and chrono logical order. 9. Note taking during the inter view should be kept to a minimum, re cording only significant details. Imme diate ly, or as soon as poss ible after the inter view, the officer can com plete the notes. 10. In certain instances it may be appropriate to obtain a written and/or taped statement from a witness. 11. Officers are to be courteous, effi cient, and friendly, always striv ing for true facts. 12. Prior to conducting a custodial interview, the suspect must be read his/her constitutional rights (Miranda). A. Interviews are con ducted to match informa tion to a par ticular sus pect in order to obtain a confes sion or admission. Interviews also serve as a tool for obtaining infor mation about the facts and circum stances surround ing a crime. B. Suspects being questioned, processed, or tested (i.e. Polygraph ) are to be under the continuous control or su pervision of agency personnel in the same room, space, or area. C. Objectives of interviews: 1. Learn the truth. 2. Obtain an admission of guilt. 3. Ascertain the identity of partici pants, principals, and accessories. 4. Recover evidence and property. 5. Discover crimes in which the suspect is or has been involved. 6. Eliminate suspects. 7. Obtain all the facts, method of oper ation, and circumstances of the crime in question. 8. Gather information to corrobo rate or dis prove some fact. 9. Record, report, and furnish the re sults of interviews to the State Attorney's Office. 10. Develop intelligence information that might uncover unlawful activi ties. Identify persons and crimi nal groups. 21-3.2 SUSPECT INTERVIEWS GENERAL ORDER 21 -3 INTERVIEW PROCEDURES 3 D. Officers conducting an inter view are to ad here to the following pro cedures: 1. Recognize legal rights as well as ethi cal and humanitarian principles. Threats or promises of any kind are not to be a part of any interview proce dure. 2. Have an interview plan. All material pertaining to the crime and statements of witnesses and victims should be carefully reviewed prior to beginning an interview. 3. Attempt to conduct an interview as soon as possible. 4. Do not lose your temper. Noth ing is gained by being hostile, bellig erent, or sarc astic. 5. Avoid a cocky, arrogant, or hard -boiled attitude. 6. Recognize individual differences of social, economic, and intelligence lev els. Officers should not speak above the level of the subject. 7. Try to establish a good rap port with