With the unofficial close to summer behind us (RIP Labor Day), we can now hone our focus on all things fall. For most people, the fall season suggests associations of the leaves turning, the return of cool mornings, pumpkin-spiced….everything, and maybe a good Oktoberfest brew next to the firepit to ease into the evening. While all these things may be true (and fantastic), we are here to remind you that you are in fact, NOT, that basic. You (and the rest of your investigative interviewing cohort) are far more complex, interesting, and above all—informed. Why would we make such a bold assumption? Because we aren’t assuming anything and are confident in our presumptions.
In case you missed it, earlier this year, we shared a letter you had sent us from the future. However, the correspondence was so comprehensive that we needed to break the publication into two separate posts. We know you have been anxiously awaiting the release of the second half, but wait no longer—we present to you:
Your Future is Here: The OTHER Letter from an Effective Interviewer
“While I don’t get the opportunity to attend many conferences throughout the year, I am incredibly grateful I was able to attend Elite Training Days. They found a way to pack eight distinct presentations into a 2-day schedule. Generally, at these industry events, the makeup of attendees is specific to a singular industry: retail AP/LP, HR, law enforcement, academia, etc.
That is one of the most significant takeaways I’ve recognized with ETD; the only “singular” type of background I noticed is that everyone in some context, is involved in the investigative interviewing community. I sat next to a detective from a local police department during the first presentation, met a Director of HR for a grocery chain during lunch and had a drink with a government Intel Analyst (she wouldn’t share which one) at the after-hours Networking Event. The diverse backgrounds of these attendees confirmed why ETD presenters were a perfect match.
Chris Wilson, PsyD, is a retired licensed psychologist who has spent most of his career working with victims and perpetrators of crimes. He is an internationally renowned trainer on topics including the neurobiology of trauma, vicarious trauma, and what it means to be “trauma-informed”. His presentation was so helpful in helping me develop a better understanding of why there has been so much focus in recent years on “rapport-based” methods for investigative interviewing. He walked us through the neuroscience that supports the efficacy of a “relationship-based approach” to conversations.
Colton Seale was such a wealth of incredible information! His background is so unique, and the way he was able to weave together his experiences in conducting interviews involving public corruption investigations, suspected terrorists (including the Bin-Laden investigation!), and global intelligence operations was incredible. The primary message I took away from his session was congruent with where all the research in the industry has been heading—treating people as people is the undertone of every successful engagement.
David Thompson, CFI, was able to take what often feels like an overwhelming task—absorbing the research and legal trends—and make it something where I could walk away feeling informed and inspired. I realized that I don’t make enough time to sit back and recognize how significant the role of an investigative interviewer really is—not only for the organizations we represent but, most importantly, for the people we are interacting with. Dave motivated me to challenge myself to stay up to speed on trends and, more importantly, to take a position of action in continuing to move the needle towards leveraging research to improve and inform how we do our jobs.
The Case Studies
Who doesn’t love a good case study presentation? I was thrilled to see TWO case study sessions on the agenda this year—a hostage negotiation and a multi-million-dollar retail fraud investigation.
Ken Cyzen, CFI, David Wolf, and Shellie Cartwright presented one of the most unique hostage negotiation case studies I had ever heard. Ken and David were the lead negotiators who walked the audience through the background of the case and the challenges it presented due to the unique aspect of the situation. They also discussed the interviewing strategies used, ultimately leading to a resolution of the chaos. However, the most fascinating part of the presentation was when Shellie offered her perspective. She was the victim taken hostage during the ordeal. A truly unbelievable account.
Robert Lacommare, CFI, David Campbell, and Tony Paixão, CFI, CFE, walked us through a multi-million-dollar cash kick-back scheme they collectively investigated. While the case was incredibly interesting, the best part of this session was the differing perspectives offered by the presenters. David is the VP of LP for the company involved and provided an intimate look into the year-and-a-half-long investigation. David Campbell, the Assistant General Counsel, discussed the legal and ethical challenges a publicly traded company faces when investigating a case of this magnitude. Tony Paixão walked the audience through his interview strategy that ultimately positioned the team to land a successful resolution to the investigation.
It’s obvious there was no shortage of benefits (both from an educational and networking perspective) from this year’s conference. Now listen, I know we are on the fence about attending ETD because it falls on the same dates as the Taylor Swift pop-up concert (just announced) but hear me out—ETD is better than Taylor Swift. Go on, read that again.
See you in San Antonio,
-You”
To learn more about Elite Training Days and to secure your seat today—click HERE. We are less than two months away and we can’t wait to see everyone in Texas!
