Investigation and Police Organization

¶ … evidence, it seems possible that an altercation occurred between the husband and wife and the two of them are 'covering' up this incident. Ideally, a detective with expertise in domestic violence cases should be in charge of the investigation. Separate officers should interview both the wife and husband before the couple has a chance to 'get their stories straight,' and note any inconsistencies between the two accounts. The other officers involved should attempt to exclude any other possible explanations for the injuries, eliminating the possibility that a so-called burglary did occur. The patrol officer who has established a rapport with the children should clearly be a presence during the interview process, given that children can be notoriously difficult interview subjects and it is helpful to have a comforting figure to support them. Interviewed independently, the children might be more forthcoming than either parent about the details of the husband's assault on the wife. However, given that the patrol officer is not of higher rank nor experienced in interviewing either minors or individuals involved in high-profile cases as an experienced investigator in this field, he should not conduct the interrogations alone. Another concern regarding interviewing children is the legal limitations placed upon interrogations. No states categorically prohibit the interrogation of minors without a parent present. However, some states do prohibit the interrogation of children unless the children consult with their parents first (Coppolo 2000).