Interrogating Images: Audio-Visually Recorded Police Questioning of Suspects in Bloomington, MN

Audio-visual recording is widely regarded as a panacea for problems with police questioning of suspects. Interrogating Images presents the first empirical study of the routine use of audio-visual recording of police interrogations anywhere in the world, focusing on New South Wales, Australia, where such recording has been required for more than a decade. Its introduction is set in a historical account of disputes and concerns about police questioning of suspects. Various styles of police interviewing are identified, showing that many assumptions about the nature and purpose of interrogation are inaccurate. A chapter assesses the impact in NSW of "investigative interviewing," a questioning style very different from that used in the USA. The penultimate chapter examines the experiences and perceptions of criminal justice professionals--judges, defence lawyers, prosecutors, and police. Interrogating Images concludes by pointing to some dangers of misusing audio-visual recording.