Scientific Interrogation: The Strategic Use of Evidence (SUE) Technique

Abstract The Strategic Use of Evidence (SUE) technique represents a method of scientific interrogation** that entails the strategic management of case information and evidence. The technique offers guidance to interrogators on the utilization of available information, encompassing pre-interrogation planning, the formulation of strategic questions based on the evidence and the strategic disclosure of evidence***. The primary objective of this technique is to enhance the likelihood of discerning deceit by detecting inconsistencies in the statements or comments made by suspects****. Numerous studies have shown that the SUE technique enhances the precision of deception detection in various contexts, such as police investigations, employment interviews, and security screening. Police trainees who received SUE training were able to detect deception with an accuracy rate of 85.4%, compared to 56.1% for untrained trainees. The Strategic Use of Evidence technique is designed to highlight discrepancies between a suspect’s statement and the available evidence, exploiting the differing cognitive processes of truth-tellers and liars. This technique is predicated on the assumption that individuals who engage in deception are prone to offering contradictory statements when confronted with evidence that challenges their narrative. This phenomenon occurs when suspects who are deemed to be guilty are compelled to modify their narrative, which often results in discrepancies. Conversely, suspects who are innocent and truthful maintain consistency in their explanations, which align with both the evidence and their original account. The SUE technique has the potential to detect deceit and has been widely employed by law enforcement agencies and other organizations worldwide. Some of the essential advantages that SUE offers are: – Surpasses conventional deception detection methods, such as relying on body language cues, in terms of effectiveness. – – With appropriate training, this technique is user-friendly and straightforward to learn and implement. – Has versatile applications, suitable for a wide range of settings.