The authors considered several training interventions in police practices that they felt would prove simple, direct and cost-effective and, importantly, would have a significant impact in the area of human rights and the rule of law. They settled on adding elements of new, more effective and human rights compliant techniques in police interviewing practices with a particular focus on the interviewing of suspects. This was in recognition of the vulnerability of suspects to potential abuse during questioning, in situations where police officers can be under enormous pressure to resolve crimes and secure convictions. Faced with limited evidence and with insufficient skills to interview so as to increase the volume, reliability and accuracy of the information they receive, the pressure can mount on police officers to obtain a confession as the only likely means to resolve the case. In such circumstances, questioning can quickly move to threatening or inducing a suspect to confess. The authors appreciated that many insufficiently trained police officers mistakenly believe that an innocent person will never confess to a crime they have not committed. Therefore, officers may see little danger in applying oppressive methods, particularly where they also wrongly believe that this is in the public’s best interest. The experts believed that without training in this area there was a greater likelihood for suspects’ human rights to be abused, for the innocent to be convicted, for the guilty to remain free, for officers to break the law that they have sworn to uphold, and for the diminishing or loss of confidence and respect in policing and the criminal justice system. Supported by the Council of Europe, the authors argued for the production of a brief introductory guide to investigative interviewing. All parties accepted that such a guide would be deliberately and necessarily short and simple. It had to be something that individual officers could pick up, understand and apply. It was not intended to take the place of full training programmes on interviewing techniques, but rather to fill a gap where such programmes were not being delivered or were limited in scope and nature due to resource constraints on police departments. While it is recognised that this guide cannot make police officers experts in interviewing, following the methodology and principles set out therein will facilitate significant improvements in police efficiency and compliance with human rights obligations. These are commendable and desirable goals. Page 6 ► A brief introduction to investigative interviewing