OSCE trains Kosovo Police on investigative interview techniques

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo concluded in Vushtrri/Vučitrn, on 19 June 2015, a two-week advanced training on investigative interviewing for 20 Kosovo Police officers.

Participants learned models for interviewing victims, witnesses and suspects, an essential aspect of the investigation process. The training addressed the distinction between interviews and interrogations, the importance of the interview room setting, characteristics of an effective interviewer, the goal of the interview process, and behaviour symptom analysis.

“Most investigative information is acquired in interviews. Investigators and officers must assign more importance to interviews as a source of information and develop skills to plan, conduct, and evaluate interviews,” said Henrik Malmquist, Director of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo’s Department of Security and Public Safety.

The training took place at the Academy for Public Safety and was based on a Kosovo Police training needs assessment as well as OSCE observations of the need for training on investigative interviewing. Most trainees belong to Kosovo Police investigation units and have already completed several Mission-supported courses on topics such as basic investigative interviewing and criminal statement analysis. 

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is mandated with human and community rights protection and promotion, democratization, and public safety sector development. It regularly delivers advanced and specialized training courses for law enforcement agencies.