Recording your interviews is critical to a case. It doesn’t matter if it is a witness, suspect, or business owner. Get into the habit of recording your interviews to make sure you are capturing the most detail possible. If you choose to use direct quotes, you will need the audio recording to support that statement in your report. In fact, more than 25 states require officers to record all custodial interviews. [1] Relying on just body-camera recordings for interviews can also be an issue if your agency restricts the use of post-incident viewing. In those cases, a simple audio recorder will be beneficial. And if you are in any detective unit, picking a good interview software or voice dictation recorder can make documenting interviews in a police report quicker. You can tag key points in the recording and reference the exact spot of the recorded statement in your police report.
1. Bang BL, Stanton D, Hemmens C, Stohr MK. Police recording of custodial interrogations: A state-by-state legal inquiry. International Journal of Police Science & Management. 2018;20(1):3-18 RELATED: 5 reasons digital recordings are valuable for suspect interviews
Joshua Lee is a multifaceted law enforcement professional with extensive experience and expertise in various aspects of criminal justice. Currently serving as an active-duty police sergeant for a municipal police department in Arizona, Joshua’s career spans almost two decades in law enforcement.
Joshua specialized in investigating complex cases involving racketeering offenses related to civil asset forfeiture, white-collar financial crime, cryptocurrency, and fraud.
Beyond his police duties, Joshua has established himself as a sought-after expert in financial crime investigations. He serves as an expert witness and consultant on money laundering investigations for banks, financial institutions, and accountants. Additionally, Joshua contributes his knowledge as an advisor and researcher in the field of artificial intelligence applications and technology for government use.
Joshua holds a Bachelor of Arts in Justice Studies, a Master of Arts in Legal Studies, and a Master of Arts in Professional Writing and he is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS), Certified Cyber Crimes Investigator (CCCI), and is an ISSA Certified Tactical Conditioning Specialist.
Joshua serves as an adjunct professor at several schools teaching law, criminal justice, government, technology, professional and technical writing, and English. He can be reached at joshua.lee@secretsquirrelpress.com .
