We are delighted to present our Masterclass & Keynote Speakers for iIIRG 2024
The 2-day Masterclass, led by Dr. Joshua Wyman and Detective Martin Franssen, will be an educational session for academics and practitioners. The speakers will discuss theoretical and practical aspects of effectively interviewing older adults, addressing their unique vulnerabilities like age-related cognitive deficits and susceptibility to fraud and elder abuse. Topics will include understanding cognitive changes in aging, tailored communication strategies, ethical considerations, and best practices to ensure interviewee dignity. Attendees will grasp the challenges and opportunities in interviewing older adults, gaining practical tools to enhance interview quality.
With an impressive track record of over 25 publications, Joshua has quickly established himself as a respected expert in the field of interviewing older adults. His research on the interviewing of older adults addresses a particularly vulnerable population. Specifically, older adults are more susceptible to crimes such as fraud and elder abuse. Further, older adults may face age-related cognitive deficits that can hinder the accuracy and completeness of their recollections, which necessitates a tailored interviewing approach. Joshua’s Masterclass will help contribute to safeguarding older adults from exploitation through enhancing investigative interviewing procedures.
Before joining the police, Martin served in the Canadian Armed Forces within the Military Engineering branch. He has spent much of his career focusing on financial crimes, particularly in protecting vulnerable adults and tackling complex corporate and estate frauds. Martin has been nationally recognized for his dedication to training police officers, community partners, and the public, conducting numerous seminars on fraud prevention related to Powers of Attorney and Wills. He teaches postgraduate courses at Durham College and holds certificates from Osgoode Hall Law School in Elder Law and Wills and Estates. He chairs the Law Enforcement Agencies and Partners Protecting Seniors (LEAPPS) Committee and the Rotary Club of Oshawa. Martin has received several accolades, including the Community Builder Award and the Public Heroes Award. As of July 1, 2023, he leads the “OASIS” Unit at Durham Regional Police Service, a new unit dedicated to supporting older adults and investigating abuse allegations against them, a first of its kind in Canada.
Professor Heather Price and Constable Renee Brand’s keynote presentation will delve into the underappreciated role of interview monitors in investigative interviews with children. Their presentation will discuss the value of the team approach to child interviews, and how to more thoughtfully consider the contribution of professionals who live-monitor interviews. Leveraging their extensive research and practical experiences, Heather and Renee will draw from the latest scientific findings to offer research-informed strategies for enhancing the quality of child interviews. Attendees can expect practical guidance and actionable strategies for professionals working in child interviewing, enabling them to navigate this nuanced terrain with confidence and ethical rigor.
Heather is a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Culture and Communities: Children and the Law. As an academic, researcher, and educator, Heather brings a profound understanding of ethical considerations, trust-building, and the unique dynamics of child interviewing to the conference. Her involvement promises to enrich the event by providing invaluable insights and strategies for professionals in this vital domain.
Renee is an RCMP officer in British Columbia, where she has served for 14 years moving through various specialized units. After graduating from Depot in 2009, she initially served in Prince George, then transitioned into the Sex Crimes Unit, and later the Serious Crimes Unit. In 2017, she transferred to Kelowna’s Southeast District General Investigation Section. Renee plays a crucial role at the Child and Youth Advocacy Centre (CYAC) of Kelowna, advocating for families with a trauma-informed approach. Honoured for her victim-centered policing, she received the 2022 Excellence in Victim-Centered Policing Award. Raised in Ontario, Brand studied at Western University and enjoys exploring British Columbia’s landscapes.
Professor Christian Meissner and Dr. Susan Brandon will present a keynote exploring their collective endeavors within the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG). Initiated by the Obama administration amid the U.S. war on terror, the HIG was tasked with ensuring interrogations adhered to U.S. laws, international human rights norms, and ethical guidelines while still obtaining reliable intelligence. Through their insightful knowledge in investigative interviewing, Chris and Susan will unravel key facets of high-stakes interrogations by addressing ethical dilemmas, human rights considerations, and effective communication strategies. Moreover, they will explore the challenges encountered in forming a national entity dedicated to advancing interviewing research and practice, providing attendees with practical takeaways. The insights from their talk bear a direct relevance to human rights crises, shedding light on the imperative of ethical interviewing practices in situations marked by heightened sensitivities and severe implications.
As a leading researcher in the psychology of interrogation and credibility assessment, Chris has made substantial contributions to the advancement of knowledge and practice in the field of investigative interviewing. He received his Ph.D. in Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences from Florida State University in 2001. His research spans several key areas, including memory, attention, perception, decision processes, and their applications in real-world tasks like forensic interviewing and deception detection.
Dr. Meissner directs the Applied Cognition Laboratory at Iowa State, where he conducts empirical studies to improve practices in investigative interviewing and interrogation. He’s also recognized for his mentorship, having received multiple awards for outstanding mentorship including the 2023 Gallagher Mentor of the Year Award by the National Postdoctoral Association.
Susan has made significant contributions to investigative interviewing and interrogation. Her role as the former Research Program Manager for the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG) demonstrates a deep understanding of high-stakes interrogations. Further, her leadership in the HIG Research Program, aimed at improving U.S. government interview methods, resulted in numerous rigorous publications, advancing the field significantly. Dr. Brandon’s diverse career, with roles at the National Institutes of Health and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), highlights her commitment to advancing behavioral and social sciences.
There have been significant developments in the areas of investigative interviewing (or interrogation) over the last 30-40 years. Examples of these developments include the awareness that certain tactics can prompt false confessions, that science informed techniques can prompt more (and more accurate) memories and information recall as to what has happened, and many myths relating to the detection of deception have now been debunked. Moreover, we now know that rapport-based interview strategies can help overcome resistance, and also are more ethical, respecting human rights and legal norms. The accumulation of this knowledge is argued as best captured by the signal change of the Mendez Principles, that the United Nations have endorsed in 2021. Almost exactly three years later, we begin to see steps that move from this important landmark statement of principles to that of practical developments (with realisation of the challenges that these confront). Dave’s keynote presentation will discuss some key aspects of these matters and offer pathways to possible solutions.
Dave is a Professor of Criminal Investigation in the School of Law at De Montfort University, Leicester, UK. His PhD in 2010 concerned the interviewing of fraud suspects. He works with many academics and law enforcement agencies around the world, advising on their investigation and interview methods. Dave has published over 80 peer-reviewed journal articles, books, and book chapters on the subject of criminal investigation, particularly in the area of investigative interviewing of victims, witnesses and suspects. He has a world-wide reputation as one of the leading scholars in this subject area. He is the lead editor of a forthcoming volume in the Summer of 2024 entitled: The International Handbook of Investigative Interviewing and Interrogation (Routledge). The Handbook is a sister volume to two earlier ones, where he was again lead editor; International Developments and Practice in Investigative Interviewing and Interrogation (Volumes 1 and 2). Together the three volumes cover contribution from authors in 70 countries Dave is currently leading an international group of 100+ scholars and practitioner from over 40 countries on a four year project titled, ImpleMendez, in efforts to strengthen research networks, further develop academic collaborations and help implement the Mendez Principles around the world.