What is the primary purpose of an interview?

The primary purpose of an interview in the context of criminal justice is indeed to gather information. Interviews are structured conversations that aim to extract relevant details about a situation, event, or person. This process allows law enforcement and investigative professionals to collect the necessary facts that contribute to understanding a case. An effective interview can reveal important insights, clarify events, and uncover leads that may not have been initially apparent.

While coercing confessions or establishing authority may be associated with some interviews in specific circumstances, these are not the primary objectives. Coercing confessions undermines the integrity of the investigative process and can lead to unreliable results, while establishing authority may occur during interactions but is not the primary focus. Documenting evidence is also essential in the investigative process, but it is typically performed separately from the interview itself, which centers specifically on engaging with individuals to obtain verbal accounts and narratives.