Good Cop / Good Cop

[Excerpt from a book on interrogation techniques by Dr. Avalon Bayer]

The typical interrogation suspect portrayed by entertainment media is stubborn, clever or even arrogant, entering into a verbal sparring match with the interrogating officer. While this makes for good drama, it's a poor representation of actual cases.

It is important to not that the majority of suspects want to talk. Let them. Provide some prompts, but only to keep the words flowing. Do not attempt to direct them, but just keep them talking. My experience - and case-studies back this - has been that most people will move toward the information you want to know if you just listen to them and reaffirm their assumptions when they need it.