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You are a police officer in Centervale. While on patrol, you are dispatched to investigate a theft from a local retail store w
here
the loss prevention representative has made an apprehension of a suspect. You are also notified that there are several employee witnesses and the suspect has other people with him in the store. All of these people may or may not be involved in this crime. Additionally they may be witnesses and have critical information needed for successful prosecution of this case.
Click here to read the transcript of your interactions at the retail store.
Tasks:
Prepare a 9- to 10-page Microsoft Word document which accommodates the following:
- Compare and contrast the fundamental concepts of communication in an investigatory interview and an interrogation. Analyze and explain whether the communication in this scenario would be classified as an interview or an interrogation. Apply the comparison and contrast information, the script, and external resources to support your position, and rationale.
- Analyze and discuss at least two different confession elicitation tactics that were used by Officer Stone in an effort to get Marty to confess. Contrast one of these tactics with a tactic that might have been less effective in this situation.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of Officer Stone’s efforts. Analyze and discuss a key area of strength and weakness in his approach. Identify any fundamental legal issues that Officer Stone may encounter related to how he handled this situation and his choice of tactics.
- Evaluate how you would have executed this communication in order to achieve the confession? Use empirical research in support of your evaluation; suggest how to improve an area of weakness and how to overcome any other obstacles you can identify in this situation.
- Predict what would happen if Marty implicated his friend Joe? Identify the questions that should be asked to provide evidence to Marty’s claim?
| Compared the fundamental concepts of communication as they relate to an investigatory interview and an interrogation and used the comparison information, the script, and external resources to support your position and rationale to analyze and explain the communication classifieds—an interview or an interrogation. | |
| Identified two different tactics that Officer Stone used to get Alec to confess and contrasted one tactic with another less effective tactic. | |
| Identified which interviewing technique was the most effective, analyzed and discussed a key area of strength and weakness, and identified any fundamental legal issues that Officer Stone may encounter related to his choice of tactics or how he handled this situation. | |
| Created two suggestions for Officer Stone’s technique and tactics as supported by empirical evidence. | |
| Predicted the outcome of Alec’s implication of one of his friends. | |
| Proposed how the author would have implemented communication techniques to obtain a confession. | |
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Illustrated what sort of communication strategies and questions would be asked to provide evidence to support Alec’s claim.
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Writing components: Organization (12)Usage and mechanics (12)APA elements (16)Style (4) |
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| Total: | 200 |
Transcriptof Your Interactions at the Retail Store
Witness(W): Security Personnel
Q1: Hello, I’m Officer Stone, what’s going on?
WA 1: I’m Johnny Onthespot, the store loss prevention manager, I just apprehended a suspect that
placed two packages of razor blades in his pants, the expensive ones, and he walked out the front door
without paying. I stopped him there. He was gonna run but he changed his mind quickly.
Q2: He is lucky he didn’t run you would have certainly caught him; what did he do, give me the details,
Johnny?
WA2: He walked through the clothing section quickly and went directly to the toiletry section, he looked
around some, and as I watched him from another aisle I could see him take two packs of razors off the
rack and stuff them in the front of his blue jeans and walk directly for the front doors. He walked right past
the checkout counter and exited the store through the front doors. I followed him out and identified myself
and asked him to come back inside, and he did. I asked him to come to the security office and he walked
with me to the office. I asked him to give me the blades from his pants and he did. He handed me two
packs of blades valued at about $35 each.
[Johnny reaches the desk inside the office and hands Officer Stone two packs of razor blades labeled
with a price tag $34.98.]
Q3: Who was he with, was he alone?
WA3: He came in the store with others, but when he was over by the razor blades he was alone.
Q4: OK, I will take it from here. Anything else that I should know?
WA4: Nope, that’s how it went down, clear-cut shoplift case, Officer. By the way, it is our store policy that
we prosecute everyone that shoplifts here.
[Officer Stone and Johnny Onthespot enter the Security Office within the Store, the location in which the
shoplift suspect has been detained.]
Suspect(S)
Question (Q)1: Hello I’m Officer Stone, I’m here to investigate a theft, what is your name?
Suspect Answer (SA)1: Hi, my name is Marty Alec.
Q2: Hello Marty, I’m going to advise you of your Miranda Rights because I need to ask you some
questions. Please listen carefully, you have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be
used against in a court of law; you have the right to have an attorney present during questioning, if you
can’t afford an attorney you have the right to have one appointed for you before questioning. You may
exercise any of these rights, during questioning. Do you understand your rights? Do you want to make a
statement now, without an attorney present?
SA2: Yeah.
Q3: Do you understand your rights?
SA3: Yeah, I guess.
Q4: Tell me what being read your rights means?
SA4: Sure, it means I’m going to jail.
Q5: Why did you say that, why would you be going to jail? How many times have you been to jail?
SA5: You and him, think I stole something, right?
Q6: Well, what did you steal in order for you to go to jail?
SA6: [Long pause] I didn’t. He says I did. [Gesturing towards Johnny.]
Q7:Why did you come to the store today?
SA7: I’m here with my friends
Q8: Did you come here to shop?
SA8: [Long hesitation] Yes.
Q9: What were you shopping for?
SA9: Clothes.
Q10: What specific type of clothing were you looking to buy?
SA10: I don’t know, pants and shirts.
Q11: So you were looking through the pants and shirts aisles?
SA11: Yep.
Q12: Did you find something you wanted?
SA12: [Pause] Nah, [Long pause] nothing I want.
Q13: Do you have money?
SA13: Yep [Long pause], I have some
Q14: If you found some pants or shirts that you need, what would you do, without money?
SA14: I have money, I have some.
Q15: What does I have some mean? How much, enough to buy a pair of pants and a shirt?
SA15: I think so, I don’t know.
Q16: Who is with you today?
SA16: My friends.
Q17: What are their names?
SA17: Tony and Joe.
Q18: Where are they now?
SA18: I don’t know.
Q19: Did they shop too?
SA19: [Long pause] I don’t know.
Q20: Were your friends with you?
SA20: Right next to me.
Q21: How long were you shopping for clothes?
SA21: Long time, twenty-five minutes at least [Said with no hesitation]
Q22: Did you go into any other areas of the store?
SA22: No, [Pause] maybe.
Q23. Did you take any merchandise off of the racks?
SA23: Nope.
Q24: How did the razor blades get in your pants?
SA24: They aren’t mine.
Q25: The store’s security person says he saw you take the blades off the shelf and put them down your
pants.
SA25: [Long pause] He didn’t see me do that.
Q26: How did they get in your pants?
SA26: I don’t know; I didn’t put them there.
Q27: You said that you were only in the clothing sections, was that the truth?
SA27: [Pause] Yeah.
Q28: Do they keep razor blades in the section with the pants or shirts?
SA28: No.
Q29: Where are the blades kept?
SA29: [With no hesitation] Over on the other side of the store.
Q30: How do you know that? If you weren’t over there today, how do you know where they are kept? You
were over there weren’t you, Marty?
SA30: [Another long pause] I don’t know, I just do.
Q31: Let’s be honest, the security person saw you over there and you concealed the blades in your pants
didn’t you?
SA31: Nope, I didn’t steal anything.
Q32: I did not say that you stole them. I said that he saw you put them in your pants. But you stole them,
right?
SA32: Nah, not me, I would have just bought them, I have money, I told you that.
Q33: But you didn’t have enough money for these expensive blades, they cost $35, do you have that
much on you?
SA33: Yep.
Q34: How much money do you have with you? Empty your pockets for me please.
SA34: [Pause] Nah.
Q35: Just tell me how much you have? Marty, I understand, you needed the blades and didn’t have
enough money, maybe you lost your job and needed to shave, I understand, maybe you are out there
trying to get a job and need to shave for the interviews you are expecting, I get it, you needed the blades,
just tell me the truth. It makes sense, every man needs a close shave.
SA35: I don’t know. Enough! I have never stolen anything-I’m not a thief.
Q36: How much are the blades? C’mon Marty you know what you did, be honest with me, you will feel
better when you are honest with me about this situation, Marty you are really avoiding these questions
and you can’t expect me to believe you don’t know how the blades got in your pants, you admitted they
were in your pants. I talked with the store security manager and he saw you place them in your pants and
that’s where he recovered them, from in the front of your pants. Tell the truth, you will feel better once you
do. Really, once you get this off your chest, you will feel better.
SA36: I don’t know.
Q37: OK, I’m placing you under arrest for theft, let’s go.
SA37: OK, I had the money.
[Officer Stone places Marty Alec under arrest without incident and transports him to booking.]
