“It's what we cop” – Frontline police officers’ perceptions of challenges in police–witness interviews

Frontline officers play a valuable role in the collection of witness evidence through interviews. Whilst there is some acknowledgement of the complexities of the environment where this takes place, little is known about the challenges these officers face. This article examines New South Wales frontline officers’ perceptions of why they interview witnesses and what is challenging when they do. This research finds the purpose of frontline interviews is to collect adequate information to fulfil evidentiary requirements as accurately and efficiently as possible, not to obtain as much detail on incidents as feasible. Findings also suggest a variety of challenges affect police–witness interviews including witness characteristics, the nature of the frontline role and context of investigation. These challenges act both singularly and simultaneously, and accordingly make the interview process complex. Finally, officers view on-the-job experience best prepares them for meeting these challenges.