#Security #officers will take part in interviewing different types of people for multiple reasons. Some interviews maybe with suspects while others maybe taking statements from witnesses. Each case is always to be handled carefully and professionally, so how do you know how to talk to each person and get the information that you need?
An interview is not an interrogation, an interview is simply getting as much information that you can in a comfortable and relaxed nature. The person that the security officer is questioning should not feel that what the are about to say is going to be held against them, but actually is helping the situation. When a security officer is communicating with them, the officer should allow the person to speak freely, only adding to the discussion to build the conclusion, and help the person remember details that may have been left out or thought unimportant.
When starting the interview, take the person to a quite place and allow them to be comfortable. This helps calm the person and divert them from possible distractions. If the person is a suspect, this will also give a sense of security and not build anxiety of others around. If the person is a witness, the concept of out of sight people, stops others from changing that persons mind about events or having the noise of the scene keep them from hearing only you.
There is different styles of interviewing, the security officer may have their own specific style that they have developed over time which works for them, when that style may not work for other officers. Over time and trying different techniques, you will find what does and does not work for you. The most used style by security officers is the three step process. The three step process is where you simply ask: "What happen?" This is an opened ended question which opens many channels of conversation. The person will tell you what they saw, heard, or did. Then the security officer will paraphrase what the interviewee stated, and then will ask them to repeat parts, or the interviewee may chime in during the paraphrasing adding more information. This style allows for the information to be repeated to ensure that the information is correct and complete from beginning to end.
The different styles of interview techniques also work to avoid deception from the person being interviewed. Deception cues is very simple if you know what to look for, and having an interview style that works for you is extremely helpful, not having one can allow the person to change their story or facts given without the officer noticing. Deception cues are things such as: eye movement, body language, changing of story or facts, stuttering at certain times or avoiding of questions. Knowing these signs takes practice but over time it will become natural to see and know how to proceed correctly with the interview.
Practicing the interview process and deception cues is something that here at Professional Security Institute that we take pride in. We have knowledgeable staff that can help train future security guards on how to preform these correctly and professionally! Register today for your class and learn from the best!
Click here to go to our website for more information and our class schedules www.psiftmyers.com