Statement Analysis Training!

Here is a link to Officer.com for an upcoming training in "Investigative Statement Analysis; Truth through what they S.A.I.D." in Portsmouth, NH

Here is a link to more training information: TRUTH through what they S.A.I.D.
Here is a registration form as well: Registration

Any questions or for additional information call LIES Linguistic Interrogation Expert Services at 860-828-1880 or on the web at http://www.truthsleuth.com

Statement Analysis Training

"Investigative Statement Analysis; Truth through what they S.A.I.D." is a 3-Day comprehensive training class designed to provide investigators with the ability to obtain and assess information from people and to help distinguish between truthfulness and deception. Students get lots of hands-on training and application of the techniques they are taught! For more information click HERE

This training is presented by LIES Linguistic Interrogation Expert Services which can be found at http://www.truthsleuth.com

Truth? Lies? Get training to know the difference!

With the issues continuing to show up in the media about false confessions, wrongful convictions, innocent people being exonerated after 5, 10, 18 years or more, along with the resulting millions of dollars in law suits, there is a need for continuous training and skill development with investigative interviewing, criminal interrogations, and distinguishing between truthful information and lies, and with obtaining reliable, accurate information from everyone we talk with during investigations.

The Farmington Police Department in Connecticut is hosting "Truth Through what they S.A.I.D.", which is a 3-day training class on Investigative Statement Analysis being held on October 25th - 27th 2010.

Check out the information by clicking HERE:
Check out the registration form HERE:

Stay safe!!!
Wesley Clark

LIES website references

Are you interested in understanding more about lies, lie detection, interview and interrogation techniques and strategies and statement analysis? Join us at the LIES Facebook page and participate in the conversation, or just browse and take it in! No pressure :-)

For further information and training on investigative statement analysis, cognitive interviewing and interview and interrogation techniques, check out the LIES Linguistic Interrogation Expert Services website!

If you are a committed professional and would like join an international network of investigative interviewers, check out the Interview and Interrogation Group for an online community of like-minded professionals! Blogs, podcasts, discussion forums, online training, etc!

See you there!

Wes

Interview and Interrogation Group - FREE membership!

FREE membership at the Interview and Interrogation Group! Enhance your skills with investigative interviewing, criminal interrogation, detecting deception, credibility assessments and associate with professionals worldwide who share the same interest and passion.

http://www.lies.igroops.com/

Check it out!

van der Sloot Interrogation and more!

We have had several new members join the Interview and Interrogation Group over the past few weeks, which added even MORE professional experience in the field of interview and interrogation and statement analysis, detecting deception, credibility assessments, etc.

Some recent postings include:
van der Sloot confession
What "did" happen?
Deception-detection headband!?!?
Info on 'passive voice'

Plus our many blogs on various topics, such as:
Worldwide tips & techniques
Politics of deception
"The Interrogation Station" Podcast

This is a small piece of the MANY others postings, blogs, discussions, videos, MP3, etc. available to members, and even some for non-members at http://www.lies.igroops.com

Also, we are planning to have an online training session on "False Confessions" and will post info when the date when it is set.

Lastly, I will be setting up "Quarterly Reviews" which will be held...well...quarterly. This will be live online training through the Interview and Interrogation Group and will be structured for individuals who have attended our LIES training classes. We will set these up as a review session to go over the training, answer any questions, assist with statement review, discuss successes or problems in the field, etc.

That's it for now...stay safe and stay in touch!
Wes

Misplaced Words

"On a few occasions, I have misspoken about my service and I regret that. And I take full responsibility, but I will not allow anyone to take a few misplaced words and impugn my record of service to our country." That is a comment by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal regarding questions surrounding his past statements about his military service.

The news headlines today are discussing Richard Blumenthal’s statements about his military service. Mr. Blumenthal, a candidate for the United States Senate, reportedly attended the six month Marines boot camp at Parris Island, S.C., and served six years in the Marine Reserve, beginning in 1970, none of it overseas. Before that, Blumenthal got five deferments to avoid going to war between 1965 and 1970. However, his statement that has been plastered over the news was from a veterans event he previously spoke at in Shelton, CT during which he said, "When we returned from Vietnam, I remember the taunts, the verbal and even physical abuse we encountered," according to a 2008 Connecticut Post story.

One of the interesting things about this statement is his use of the pronoun “we” (‘When we returned…’ and ‘abuse we encountered…’). His use of the pronoun “we” indicates that he was in Vietnam and also encountered abuse along with other veterans upon returning home; but he wasn’t and he didn’t. This is why the news media is aggressively reporting this story. One may argue that since he was a Marine and did serve his country, he may have an affinity and connection to the returning veterans and inadvertently use the pronoun “we” demonstrating unity and support. I did a brief internet search for veteran’s statements and found the following:

• “After my return from Vietnam, I got to wear my Marine uniform with all the ribbons I earned…”
• “In February 1971 when I returned home, besides the lame questions of how many babies did I have to kill and how many villages did I help burn down, I had a little incident on a NYC bus. Wearing my Marine uniform with my ribbons from Vietnam (including my Purple Heart), the bus driver said that I could get on the bus for free, but I had to sit in the back of the bus. He didn't want me to cause any trouble.”
• “I came home from Vietnam a changed man, disgusted and disillusioned.”
  “In 1971, the year I returned from Vietnam, VVAW held perhaps its most famous anti-war action -- Dewey Canyon III”
• “After the helicopter on which I was a passenger was shot down southeast of Quong Tri City, South Viet Nam, I was captured by the Viet Cong and taken to North Viet Nam where I was detained for more than five years.”

All of these statements by veterans are reported by them in first person using the pronoun “I” and do not use the pronoun “we”. Admittedly an unscientific survey, but with a few clicks on the “search” button I (not “we”… because “I” actually conducted the search and hit the enter button) was able to find language differences between Mr. Blumenthal and other veterans regarding their service and their return from Vietnam.

The news and controversy surrounding Richard Blumenthal’s statement highlights the need to look at language, specifically pronouns, and the value they can provide during investigative interviews and criminal interrogations. Typically, when someone describes an event they personally witnessed or experienced they will use the first person pronoun “I” and use past tense verbs, such as the statements above by the other veterans. When people describe something they witnessed or experienced and do not use the pronoun “I” (and they do that through several ways, including the use or over-use of the pronoun “we”) it would be wise to use that as a signal to question further. The use of the pronoun “I” adds commitment to what is stated, lack of it, well, lacks commitment.

Lastly, regarding the middle portion of Richard Blumenthal’s statement, “…I remember the taunts, the verbal and even physical abuse…” Rather than say “I was taunted, and verbally and physically abused” (first person/past tense = commitment) he stated “I remember the taunts...” This weakens the statement because we expect him to say only what he remembers, so for him to feel the need to say “I remember the taunts…” is another signal that we should question further. Back in 2008 Hillary Clinton had a similar comment when she stated “I remember landing under sniper fire” in reference to a trip she had to Bosnia. This was proven to be untrue and she later stated she “misremembered” the incident.

Some may say he “misplaced words” or he “misspoke” and some may say she “misremembered” the incident; regardless of the label you want to put on it, view it as a marker…a ‘hot point’ if you will…that further questioning is necessary before accepting such statements as the truth.

Wesley Clark

http://www.truthsleuth.com

False Confessions

There continue to be stories in the media about individuals who are being released from prison sentences of 10, 15 or 20 years for crimes they didn't commit. These individuals are often exonerated through re-examination of evidence and DNA, which may not have been available at the time of their trials.

What's hard for people to understand is that some of these individuals even confessed to these crimes! Although many of the wrongful imprisonments do not involve false confessions, some of them do, and it is very important for professional interviewers to understand that this may occur, why it may occur, and how best to prevent it.

The Interview and Interrogation Group is holding a short online session on False Confessions on May 25th 2010 at 11:00am (United States Eastern Standard Time -AKA NY City time)

For more info, click the following link: http://tinyurl.com/2fbavsv

If you are a member of the Interview and Interrogation Group, make time in your schedule to attend this session. If you are not a member, now is a great time to JOIN if you are qualified. Check out the above link for more info.

Interview & Interrogation Group - Join FREE!

If you are a qualified member of law enforcement, corporate/private investigations or the academic community involved in research on deception, interview & interrogation strategies, memory or related areas, you now can join the Interview and Interrogation Group FREE for 3 MONTHS! Click here for info: http://www.igroops.com/members/lies/info

• To continuously grow as a professional interviewer, it is important to learn new
  techniques and strategies, enhance your skills, engage in discussions about case
  facts, learn from other professionals in the field, keep current with academic
  research, and engage in training segments. This is the purpose of the Interview
  and Interrogation Group, an international association of investigative
  interviewers. Join us!

Statement Analysis and Interviewing Skills

Want to spend a summer weekend on Cape Cod? How about Boston in the fall? These are two of our upcoming locations for training in Investigative Statement Analysis and Cognitive Interviewing. Make it a business trip and join us to learn powerful interview and interrogation techniques! The training is worth the trip...the location is a bonus!

Click the following link for more information on classes and registration!

http://www.igroops.com/members/lies/adminpages/registrations

Stay safe and keep in touch,

Wes

Generalizing in Interviews and Interrogations

The use of the word "would" within investigative interviews or criminal interrogations is an easy way for a possible suspect to avoid commitment to his or her specific actions. Unfortunately, we are often conditioned to accept this as a denial of a specific act, without realizing it, thereby allowing the individual to slip through the cracks. Our job as competent interviewers is to "fill the cracks" so the guilty individuals don't slip through, and so the innocent individuals are not wrongfully accused of something they didn't do.

To read more about the use of generalizing statements in interviews and interrogation click the link below!
Click HERE

For more info, check out the Interview and Interrogation Group at http://www.lies.igroops.com/

Wesley Clark

Statement Analysis and Cognitive Interviewing training

How good are your Interviewing skills? When conducting Investigative Interviewing or Criminal Interrogations, are you getting all or most of the information they have to offer? Are you getting TRUTHFUL information, or are they LYING to you?

To enhance your skills, we have upcoming training on Investigative Statement Analysis and Cognitive Interviewing. Check it out HERE

Hope to see you at this training!