good cop, bad cop
We’ve all seen it in the movies or on TV. The police bring in a suspect to question about an incident and, most likely, to accuse him or her of perpetrating the criminal activity. One cop plays the ”Bad Cop”, the hard-nosed, angry detective who takes care of all the shouting and accusations. The other officer plays “Good Cop”, the buddy, the friend and the one you can count on to get you out of this mess.
One might assume that this is just a movie technique. After all, we’ve seen it so much on TV. Would it really work in real life?
The truth of the matter is that the Good Cop, Bad Cop technique can be used in a number of ways, and the technique does employ some tried and true interrogation techniques.
The Bad Cop can put you on the defensive. He or she could be the one to use the lawful misstatements like: “We found your fingerprints at the crime scene” or “We found evidence on your cell phone that incriminates you”.
The Good Cop will then take over and console you by saying things like: “You’re not really a suspect. We just need you to help us understand what happened” or “We’re just talking, here. This is your chance to tell your side of the story”. Another common line is: “If you haven’t done anything wrong you shouldn’t have any problem answering a few simple questions”.
Between the Good and Bad Cop they can work their way through their interrogation techniques until they’ve led you to a confession. One can make a direct accusation, while the other will shift the blame to someone else. One can keep berating the suspect, while the other can pose the “alternative questions”, trying to convince the suspect to admit to something.
Law enforcement officials have been working a long time at discovering evidence, and their interrogation techniques are well tested. So no matter how many times you’ve seen it on TV, don’t just assume that you can deal with their “little tactics”. They’ve had more real world experience with them than you do. Always consult a lawyer before answering any questions, and let him decide which is the Good Cop and which is the Bad Cop.
As a criminal defense attorney, I have helped thousands of people deal with these kinds of situations. If you are facing any interviews with law enforcement or have been accused of a crime, give me a call.
~ Dan Koukol, Criminal Defense Attorney
