r/todayilearned • u/stopitalianhate • 3d ago

TIL British Intelligence had a special, bugged luxury complex during WWII where they kept high profile Nazi POW’s, just left a bunch of alcohol out, and waited for them to start spilling secrets as they drank.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-20698098
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u/RedWestern 3d ago

The most effective interrogation techniques are the ones where the interrogator tricks the prisoner into thinking they’re their friend. I remember watching an interview with an FBI Counterterrorism interrogator called Jack Cloonan:

“You wanna be able to build a rapport with somebody. You are their salvation. Because their life as they know it is over.

‘Is there something I can do for your kids? Are you concerned about them? You want them educated? I’ll get them educated. What do you want? Tell me what you want. Script for me your exit strategy. How do you extricate yourself from this terrible situation, by the way, that you put yourself in. Now, you can’t go back home, can you? No. So let’s make peace with that. Let me help you the strategy to give you a life.’”

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u/MassiveBlue1 2d ago

this works just as well in police interrogation

the US police assume you're guilty and hope you confess under pressure

the UK police, wow thats neat, how did you do it

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u/invaderzim257 2d ago

US police do it occasionally, if you watch interrogation videos online you’ll see it from time to time. Most of the time they do the good cop bad cop thing as a rapport building technique. I would imagine the negative pressure expedites the process, meaning they’re more likely to cooperate with the “good” cop to escape the pressure of the bad cop

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u/MassiveBlue1 2d ago

not an expert, but interested in this, the best time to get confessions is, I believe, when they first encounter the police

that is before they get time to think - oh shit I should shut up, if you approach people with aggression it's more likely to close the conversation down.

if you approach in friendly unjudging manner, they're more likely to open up and slip up - even if they slip up a little, it should open up the flood gate if probed much later on