Safer and more efficient field interviewing: PART TWO
A continuation of Sgt. Lou Savelli’s tips on effective “gang stop” techniques for street interviews.
Notice the body language! While watching the gang member you have stopped, pay attention to his body language and demeanor as possible indicators of deception. Pay extra attention to these indicators during the response to your questions. Notice which questions seem to cause the most deceptive reactions. Body language indicating deception manifests itself in various forms. Some indications are the placing of a hand over the mouth, eyes looking away, or keeping their arms close to their body. A person’s demeanor indicating deception, or something you should be concerned with, can be actions such as distancing, unconcerned, or disconnection. When a suspect distances himself, verbally or physically, from a person or an object it could be an indication that something illegal is afoot with the person or object. For example, when a gang member is stopped in a vehicle and he maintains an unusually far distance from his vehicle, it may indicate there is contraband in the vehicle or it is stolen. Overly unconcerned gang members who are playing it too cool could be hiding something and are trying to keep you from becoming suspicious. A known gang member who disconnects himself from his gang during a field interview may be telling you something has happened that he wants to avoid being connected to.
Take mental & written notes. Information you obtain during the field interview with a gangster may be of great value at a later date. It is important, especially when dealing with gangs, to document the time, date and locations of the stop as well as who was stopped and who was in their company. Gang associations can be needed for conspiratorial investigations, or court purposes, and proves valuable at a later date. Field Stop reports should be filed in all venues. Many RICO and Conspiracy cases have proven how apparently casual associations, even in a prison setting, resulted in the decision making processes of eventual murder contracts.
Entertain your audience! There is nothing wrong with casual conversation or entertaining quips during a field stop. In fact, such tactics have proven to be effective in keeping people off guard and passing the time when you want to delay the stop. Most gang members are not accustomed to cops speaking to them in a less than authoritative fashion or even being respectful.
Rapport must be developed and maintained! Developing rapport with gang members should be a continual practice. Today’s suspect or defendant is tomorrow’s witness or informant. When you develop a rapport with a gang member, you are establishing a positive cop/perp relationship. Most gangsters will tell you, most, if not all cops, are arrogant and disrespectful toward them. Developing rapport can also be the difference between confrontational and conversational.
Validate your authority! When making a field stop of a gangster or group of gangsters, establish your purpose for the stop. Your opening statement should do this in one sentence or two. Hey guys, stop!, I want to talk to you! Stating your name to the gangsters is good practice for a couple of reasons. First, it establishes that you are no longer just a cop. They now have a name to relate to the uniform or badge and a name to remember who to call to snitch on a fellow gangster. Second, it is the first step in establishing rapport. Also, it is very important when you are dealing with gangsters who do not know who you are. Gang members respect authority, expect authority to interact with them, and do no respect cops who try to fit in or act like a gangster by using language they do not use properly. Gangster lingo used by a cop, taken too far, is a sign of disrespect to a gangster and gangsters will write you off as a punk cop.
Initiate an action or exit authoritatively! During the field stop, it will come a time when you must take some sort of official action (i.e., arrest). Whatever action you decide to take, do it tactfully and make sure you are in a position to do it effectively and safely. If you decide not to take action, make a closing statement and tell the gangsters to leave or you exit the area
Effect arrest if safe and necessary! Should you decide to make an arrest, make sure it can be done safely and efficiently. Have adequate back-up. When making an arrest, handcuff first, search second. You always want to immobilize the prisoner immediately to avoid fight and flight. And, when it comes to gang members, get them into a safe location and away from the scene as soon as possible. Do not hang around and gloat over your arrest or custody, get the prisoner and you away from potential danger. You never know when a crowd will become hostile and attack. Whether it is on a street corner, prison runway or recreation yard, gang members can become extremely hostile when one of their own is taken into custody. Getting away quickly is not cowardice, its good tactics!
Watch what happens after you leave! When it comes to gang members, they will often test your authority. Many times, after being dispersed, they will return back to the location. After leaving the location, return to ascertain if they followed your orders. If circumstances permit, and the preceding rules (FIELD INTERVIEW) are utilized, exercise your authority and let them know you mean business. Also, returning to the scene, or conducting surveillance of the scene, could result in uncovering where a drug stash or weapon has been hidden. These things are very important to the gangsters and they must be retrieved if hidden prior to the field stop.
Most gang cops, or cops interested in investigating gangs, should be conducting several field stops each day. While the preceding tactics and techniques have been proven to work, it is important to conduct the proper safety tactics taught by the officer’s respective agency. The rules listed in this writing are suggestions to increase the safety and efficiency of field stops on gang members but do not attempt, at any time, to replace any departmental policy. Every situation is different and the rules for field stops must be adapted to reach the utmost safety and efficiency.
Gang work must be proactive! Reactionary law enforcement, while having its purpose in fighting crime and correctional situations, is not effective in dealing with gangs. Field stops are just one way to be proactive against gangs.