“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself,” wrote Leo Tolstoy over a century ago, but it still stands true today. At Wicklander-Zulawski (WZ), we have operationalized this mantra by challenging the status quo of “interrogation” and interviewing standards over the last several years. As a global leader in investigative interview training, we understand this platform comes with a responsibility to deliver evidence-based, practical, and effective tools to investigators. We appreciate all of our valued partners, investigators across the globe, and the academic community for working together over the years to ensure we are all progressing toward a common goal.
Specifically, looking back at 2022, we are proud to highlight the impact and footprint we have collectively made in the interviewing field and, ultimately, the justice system.
- We launched a new three-day law enforcement training program on investigative interviewing, obtaining certification from the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training.
- Introduced a new program on Trauma-Informed interviewing to educate investigators in both the public and private sectors on how trauma may impact the interviewee and considerations during these investigations.
- Brought real-life stories and experiences to investigators, including hearing about the impact of trauma and experience as a victim of financial fraud in this conversation with Cecilie Fjellhøy from Netflix’s The Tinder Swindler.
- Presented at numerous conferences on the evolution of interview techniques, including the National Retail Federation, American Polygraph Association, the Attorney General Alliance, and the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.
- Actively contributed to legislative efforts across the United States on the rules of evidence and admissibility of confessions relative to coercive techniques, advocating for raising the standards of reliability.
- We Delivered evidence-based, investigative interview training to thousands of investigators across the globe, impacting tens of thousands of cases in the future.
- Contributed to several podcasts, publications, and other media outlets to further educate the public on the importance of effective investigative interviewing techniques and training needs of investigators.
- Hosted an important discussion on The Principles on Effective Interviewing for Investigations and Information Gathering with Mark Fallon to assist investigators and leadership in adopting these guidelines founded on science, law, and ethics.
- Partnered with several universities, including Northwestern University, Northern Illinois University, and Virginia Commonwealth University, to bring awareness of this evolution and the importance of effective interviewing.
- Collaborated with several Organized Retail Crime Associations to train investigators in law enforcement and retail on methods to combat this growing problem in the retail industry.
- Worked with partners in the industry to promote further education opportunities, including the Loss Prevention Foundation and Magazine, Simmersion Immersive Simulations, WZ Academy, and the Office of Community Policing Services.
- Partnered with expert Heather Honey to provide Open Source Investigations training to law enforcement and the private sector community.
We look forward to continuing this outreach and advancement of interview and investigative training globally in 2023. Be on the lookout for information on new training opportunities, including a Level II Practical Application Workshop and Level III Advanced training. In addition, we will continue to see increased offerings of virtual training opportunities, online on-demand training, and other remote events. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of “changing the world” of investigative interviewing with one training session at a time – this is a responsibility we bear with great pride and accountability.
David Thompson, CFI, is the President of Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates, Inc. (WZ). He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of WZ, as well as strategic planning and the evolution of interview and interrogation content. David has also served as the Director of Investigations giving him the opportunity to manage a variety of cases while conducting interviews and consulting on investigations ranging from theft and fraud to sexual harassment and homicide. As a speaker for WZ, David has created customized training programs, presented at seminars, hosted a variety of webinars as well as conducted live broadcasts of training.
