Deciding to Record

Of all the tools in the police equipment closet perhaps the most useful in securing convictions is the recorder. Amazingly, though, despite the fact that recording technology – tapes, video and digital – have been around for decades there are still no clear guidelines regarding whether or not interviews with suspects will be recorded.

Take Cape Girardeau, a small river town in Missouri, for example. State regulations are unclear; a few years ago a bill to require all interviews was proposed but never passed. In neighboring Illinois it is the law that all interviews be recorded but in Cape it’s left almost entirely up to the officer.

In most cases recordings are made. Sometimes time and space constraints can make it difficult and occasionally the fact that a recording is being made can make a suspect stop talking but investigating officers generally make recordings whenever possible. They insure that the suspect cannot claim that they were coerced or otherwise abused into making whatever statements coming out of the interview.