Police are generally prohibited from making threats ("If you do not confess, we will make certain that you never see your children again") and promises ("If you confess now, we will charge a less serious crime"), although the lines between impermissible threats and promises and allowed police tactics are far from clear. There is no law or rule against police officers saying that certain evidence exists or that a co-defendant has confessed, even if is this is not true. It is an urban myth that police officers can never lie. If not, then say that you do not wish to answer any questions and you wish to speak to an attorney. If an officer stops you and you do not know why, you should assume that the officer suspects you of committing a crime-whether that crime is speeding or murder-and is trying to get you to confess to the crime, and you should act accordingly. Informal questioning can also occur any time a person interacts with an officer. Avoid saying anything incriminating by keeping your mouth shut and asking for a lawyer. If you are questioned at a police station, there is a good chance you will be subjected to the Reid technique. If not, the suspect will remain in custody forever. Won't the suspect feel better after confessing? If the suspect confesses, good things will happen – a lesser charge, a chance to go home.
Now, the police officer tells the suspect that the officer understands why the suspect did it and everyone else will understand too. Finally, after the officer had made it clear to the suspect that no claims of innocence will be entertained, the officer moves on to the "good cop" portion of the interview. The cop knows that suspect is lying, knows that the suspect did it, and the suspect is wasting everyone's time with protests of innocence. This is the "bad cop" portion of the interview. The officer ignores or refutes any claims of innocence by the defendant. The officer will then present a theory of the crime (sometimes supported by other evidence, sometimes completely fabricated) that offers details that the suspect can later parrot back to the officer. The officer knows it and the defendant knows it. The officer starts out by stating that the suspect is guilty. The reliance on isolation led to the development of the modern, windowless interrogation room. Officers isolate the suspect from family and friends, in the hopes that it will make the person feel alone. Under this technique, police rely on three concepts that are intended to lead the suspect to believe that confessing to the crime (whether guilty or not) is in the suspect's best interests: This is why it has been used for over half a century. In real life, the Reid technique is very effective at producing confessions.
Suspects are questioned at the police station, in a dingy room, with one officer playing "good cop" and another playing "bad cop." In police procedurals, there are cigarettes and coffee, and the questioning invariably ends with a tearful confession or a slick defense attorney coming in and shutting down the interview. This is the sort of questioning you see in the movies and on television. When police officers suspect a person of a crime, they often use the Reid interrogation technique, first developed in the 1940s.
If an officer questions you, tell the officer you do not wish to make a statement and you would like an attorney. Police use lots of different tactics to obtain confessions.The best way to avoid saying something incriminating is to not say anything at all. Second, the best way to protect yourself-even if you do not believe that you have done anything wrong-is to never make a statement to police without first talking to a lawyer. First, police interrogations are designed to produce confessions. If police want to interview you about a crime, there are two key things to remember. For more information on dealing with police, see Practical Advice for Dealing with Police Encounters and Questioning by the Police. If police want to question you, you need to know what to expect and how protect your rights. Police officers use a variety of tactics in order to obtain confessions from people accused of committing crimes.