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Abstract

Four phases of qualitative and quantitative research were conducted in relation to the use of the Cognitive Interview (CI) and Standard Interview (SI) method with six police officer witnesses of the 2017 London Bridge Terror Attack. The officers were deployed operationally as part of the British Transport Police and were first responders to the terror attack. Phase one and two of the research consisted of semi-structed interviews with two interviewers and one police officer witness. A new rating scale was developed to code and rate the six interviews for phase three. The final phase of the research consisted of semi-structured interviews with six interpreters regarding their experiences of the free recall stage of the CI being adapted to incorporate the use of two languages in the interview, as well as the introduction of practice interviews with witnesses of war crimes in Rwanda. The CI was found to generate more open-ended questions than the SI and produced a higher quality evidential product. Visually recording interviews with police officers was preferred and deemed to elicit more information than if officers had written their own statements. Additionally, the use of practice interviews was deemed to enhance the transfer of control and improve rapport in the interview. Despite this, the dissertation found that there remains a lack of understanding in the differences between at CI and SI, and officers to failing to use all techniques afforded to them by the CI.

Course: Criminal Justice - MSc - C2681F

Date Deposited: 2023-05-11

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis14129.html