Whether you investigate workplace misconduct or major crimes, the interview is a staple in the investigative process. It’s often the most important activity for gathering evidence and supporting a conclusion. But even a well-conducted investigative interview will lose its credibility if it’s not well documented in a clear and succinct interview report. Join Bruce Pitt-Payne, retired RCMP investigator and interviewing expert, as he outlines the critical steps for writing the post-interview report.

1. Post Interview Report Writing:
How to Document Your Investigation Interview
Bruce Pitt-Payne

2. Bruce Pitt-Payne
• RCMP investigator from 1991-
2017
• Adult & Child Interviewer
• Trainer – investigations &
interviewing
• Currently: consultant, teacher
and workplace investigator

3. Presentation Objectives
To speak from my perspective as a PRACTITIONER both in the
police world and the workplace investigation realm
To explain
• The value of properly writing a report on an interview
• The dangers of writing a poor report

4. Schedule
• Business Rules
• Use of Language
• Format
• Note-taking during the interview
• Adding photographs and sketches
• What to leave out
• Explaining new investigative avenues (tasks)
• Post-interview assessment (was it complete?)
• Articulating decisions
• Document storage/retention

5. Business Rules
• File naming conventions: “20-1234 SMITH 20-05-21 PITT-PAYNE”
• Font type/size
• Past tense
• Third Person: “PITT-PAYNE said, …”
• Times/dates
• Capitalize surnames?
• Repetitive names: Bruce PITT-PAYNE [hereinafter referred to as PITT-
PAYNE] was alone at work, when…

6. Use of Language
• Keep it simple
• Don’t try to impress the reader
• Avoid: - advised / stated / attended to / proceeded to
• Editorializing or sensationalizing:
• Cure: QUOTATIONS
• He said, “I walked back to the store and told the clerk he was not very
polite. He yelled at me that I was not nice either”

7. Format
The Set-up:
On June 18, 2020, between 1600 and 1700 hours, Bruce PITT-PAYNE
conducted an audio-video recorded interview with Jim BEAM in room 21B
at Sicamous Hospital and, in part, learned the following:
Summary:
Jim BEAM was alone in his office at Sicamous Hospital on June 17, 2020,
when his supervisor Frank NOTSONICE walked in and told him he was
fired because he was homosexual. BEAM immediately reported the
incident to Human Resources.
Detailed Narrative: Next slide

8. Detailed Narrative
Keep it simple and point-form:
• BEAM has worked at Sicamous Hospital as a cleaning
supervisor since 2008;
• on June 17, 2020, at “approximately 4:00pm”, he was alone,
sitting in his office;
• his supervisor, Frank NOTSONICE, “came in”, and said, “I’ve
had enough of your whiny, effeminate voice. Pack you stuff and
get out of my office now. You and your type are the devil’s
soldiers”
• etc,…

9. Narrative (continued)
Use Titles:
People:
Location:
Actions & conversations:
Times:
Objects:
Misc: Training, Mitigating Factors, Aggravating Factors,…

10. Note-Taking

11. Adding Media (Photographs & Sketches)

12. What to leave out
Private Information:
Holdback Evidence :
• On special report only
If accidentally added, you MUST redact it as soon as possible

13. Explaining New Tasks
The SUI factor:
• Physical evidence mentioned
• Verbal evidence mentioned (new witnesses)

14. Post-Interview Assessment
Goals achieved?
Objectives achieved?
Second interview needed?
Are there inconsistencies to be raised with other witnesses?

15. Articulating Decisions
Inference:
One can be reasonably certain if witness accounts of the past are consistent or not
consistent with physical evidence in the present, but one cannot reliably surmise
past events from physical evidence unless there is only one plausible explanation
for that evidence.
Compare to Offence Elements:
Frank NOTSONICE (PERSON), on or about the 17th day of June, 2020 (TIME), did
harass (ACTION) Jim BEAM (PERSON), at or near Sicamous, BC (LOCATION).
• Break into components and show the evidence source for each
Assess Credibility: Not the same as detection of deception:
• Were details provable/corroborated?; are there inconsistencies?; evasive?;
change details when challenged?

16. Keep your Word version
Make a PDF version for your investigative file
Document storage/retention

17. Thank-you for participating
Contact Bruce Pitt-Payne
brucegpittpayne@gmail.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brucegrantpittpayne/
Contact i-Sight
j.gerard@i-sight.com
Find more free webinars:
http://www.i-sight.com/resources/webinars
@isightsoftware