Reevaluating the PEACE Interview Method in a Remote World
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Many of you have probably heard of the PEACE framework for investigative interviewing. Since the changes brought on by the pandemic have taken effect, some pros and cons have emerged with this method of interviewing. Bruce Pitt-Payne, a long-time investigator with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, broke it all down at the 33rd Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference, in his virtual session “The Pros and Cons of Conducting Virtual Investigative Interviews.”
Before he got started, and many times during his presentation, Pitt-Payne wanted to clarify that when he uses the word “cons,” it’s not always in a negative connotation. When he uses the word, he says we should think of “considerations,” or simply reevaluating how we did things before and looking at things in a different way.
If you’re not familiar with the PEACE method of interviewing, here’s a short breakdown:
P stands for planning and preparation.
E stands for engage and explain.
A stands for account, clarify and challenge.
C stands for close.
E stands for evaluation.
Planning and Preparation
When planning for a virtual interview, Pitt-Payne says there are new things we need to keep in mind for this part of the method, post-COVID outbreak.
Pros:
Most parts don’t change.
There’s no commute.
It’s often easy to create a private environment.
There’s no chance of disease. The interview can still go on even if one or more of the participants becomes ill.
You can use programs like PowerPoint to present evidence and generate conversation.
Cons:
The investigator(s) and the interviewee(s) must have the right equipment. For this, Pitt-Payne recommends using a computer and having software like Zoom or Microsoft Teams. You also must consider internet speed, sound and lighting, if you’re able to record and room background. These are all things Pitt-Payne recommends you consider in advance.
Privacy: Think about potential distractions, like other people in your home or pets. Pitt-Payne recommends you put pets in a different room and consider if they might make noise.
Evidence presentation: Know beforehand how to share your screen so you don’t appear inept.
Additional participants: If you’re interviewing and have a second interviewer listening in, Pitt-Payne recommends you have them off to the side or in the back, and make sure the interviewee(s) knows who the primary interviewer is. Also, both sides of the interview should explain who is who.
Clothing: Too many shiny things can be distracting when the interviewer should be focusing on a past event.
Room background: If you’ve not had a chance to clean up the background, you can opt for a virtual background. However, Pitt-Payne says to be careful about which background you choose because some can be distracting.
Engage and Explain
This is basically the set-up of the interview when the interviewer(s) establish what they are talking about.
Pros:
Most is the same.
Some interviewees prefer virtual because they’re more relaxed right off the bat.
Pet friendly: Pitt-Payne recommends having pets nearby if they make you more comfortable in the interview.
Access to your planning material: You can have notes readily available.
Cons:
Rapport between the interviewer(s) and interviewee(s) could be lost over a video call.
Interviewers will need to explain more of the interview process.
Account, clarify, challenge
“The meat and potatoes” of the interview. This is where the interviewer(s) will likely get the information they were seeking.
Pros:
Preliminary research: Detail quantity and quality are not decreased (if the previous phase includes appropriate rapport).
Cons:
Research has shown that interviewers will miss some important verbal and physical cues.
There is some evidence that people may be more likely to lie in a video call investigation.
There’s not really control over other people who could be listening/recording at the other end. (This is why it’s important to establish who else is there much earlier in the interview.)
Sketches may be more difficult.
Challenges may be less effective if they’re not sufficiently prepared.
If the accused wants to see evidence, there needs to be preparation involved to show evidence.
Close
No remarkable difference but, again, there may be potential for diminished rapport.
Evaluation
Pros:
No changes. Evidence can still be investigated just like with an in-person interview.
Pitt-Payne says it doesn’t matter if an interview is conducted in person or behind computer screen, as long as the interview is “still conducive to achieving the goals of getting information that is accurate and that is complete and relevant.”
