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Surveillance Investigations: Interview and Interrogation Change is also the norm for the gaming industry - just ask any gaming veteran of five or so years. Sure the "old timers" have spoken of change and the altered shape of Las Vegas for decades, but even someone with a few years in the business can tell tall tales about the changes they've seen. What? You don't like the way things are in your neck of the gaming world? Don't worry, it's just like the weather in Reno; wait five minutes, it will change. The same holds true for our dark and dreary surveillance world. Change, change and more change, and when you get a handle on one scam - here's a new twist on one of many old scheming themes. Partner it with the changes in technology and the pace begins to force most of us to chase hungrily after the newest knowledge in order to remain an "expert" in our field. The only way to positively handle our diverse and constantly changing world is to maintain an open mind, reduced ego, and well, be ready for change. Being open to the new is seconded only by being committed to remembering what has changed. Both are instrumental in politically dancing through what lies ahead. So what about the progress in Surveillance? Where is it headed and what control do we, the Surveillance Leaders, have in that progress? Well if your asking me (please do) then first I'd say that the issue of controlling our progress is the predominate factor. Where we go, how we get there, and what do we want to achieve before moving on? - All questions better answered by those of us in the Surveillance Room Captain's Chair. We know where we've been. We know what has worked, what hasn't worked and what conditions have had the significant affect on either success or failure. Yes, we are at the mercy of our industry, but we can not give up control of the ship that protects the fleet. I would say that the concept of control is the key factor. Control in the equipment we use, the staff we hire and the procedures we follow in protecting our property. While our equipment and staff are manageable, how we protect is often challenged depending on where you work. How you protect might also come under fire given the condition you are faced with when working with other internal departments, law enforcement, and of the utmost importance; the executive staff. Since the late 1990's I have been involved with employing certain uncommon techniques in protecting the properties I have worked at through the Surveillance Department. At a specific property I was employed at in the past, Surveillance handled the rare task of performing all of the interviews and interrogations. This may seem odd and contrary to the normal clandestine nature of casino surveillance work. And it is so, that I admit, but it is also incredibly advantageous when used correctly. Those in our business who have performed this function, should agree that there are great benefits, but may also have experienced some resistance in carrying out this new function. By interviewing and/or interrogating the suspects (both internal employees and external "bad guys") before making the call we maximize the potential of our evidence and information gathering. The overall concept of completely handling Surveillance investigations by establishing the style of "observation through confession" has many benefits, but potentially many foes. It is for the naysayer's to this concept that I am writing this article. While I recognize that in some minds this is new and strange, I want only to offer a side of this building controversy that supports those of us who wish to move forward and upward in doing everything we can for our respective companies. Imagine a Surveillance Agent spotting a Dealer dumping a game. The normal course of events following the initial observation through to the end has a Gaming Agent arriving to take over. While this route works well certain times, I am sure many experienced surveillance people have witness the case fail at the end due to inconsistency. By inconsistency I mean just in the way cases are handled differently amongst different law enforcement agencies and differently amongst the agents and officers within the agencies. One way to ensure that every case is handled by the best practice and with the company's best interests at hand is to handle each case completely from beginning to end. I am not suggesting submitting cases to District Attorneys ourselves, but at the very maximum exhausting all avenues of investigation before involving the necessary law enforcement entity. While what can be done will vary given the jurisdictional rules and governing bodies, taking this approach may ensure the most efficiency and have many side-benefits. Training and employee moral are two immediate benefits that Surveillance Management will be rewarded with this expansion of normal actions. There are some who crinkle a forehead muscle or two at the concept of "Surveillance Investigations". There are others who may go so far as to make the bold and very aged statement that Surveillance simply "observes and reports" and that is all. To them I would say that change and growth in the form of proactive action to achieve what is best for the company might be a foreign concept to them, or is an insult added to their already aching toes from having just been stepped upon. What Surveillance does to protect the company's assets should always be described as "as mush as can be done" while maintaining integrity and excellence in action and a sincere focus on what is best for the company. Fulfilling the concept that I have begun to describe here has been proven with many successful investigations which have ended in many written legal confessions after a surveillance guy has done the talking. But why does this work? Why does this work even better than if a separate investigative entity was to attempt the same actions? Surveillance personnel are trained from the start of their career to look for what "just doesn't look right". They become, through constant observation, experts at many facets of human behavior and action. During many focused observations and over a number of years they become schooled in normal behavior versus furtive behavior which often alone leads to a bust. To take this further, answer this rhetorical question; who would be more proficient in interviewing a suspect than the person who devoted hours of observation in watching the same suspect? The "observer" has learned directly from the suspect what their normal actions look like and what are their covert "thieving" actions. Ask any professional interviewer/interrogator how crucial such knowledge could be in their line of work, and I'd bet their answer will include some sarcasm. Even more close to home inside of our own casino world, the Surveillance Agent also becomes an expert in the many different jobs they are tasked with observing. To compound this expertise; many of the surveillance personnel that are in the industry today have previous backgrounds in the varied and vast sea of positions within our industry. And to add still more onto this point; we should consider that these "eyes in the sky" are huddle together day after day sharing experiences and stories of theft and scams which enhances their overall knowledge. In short - they become expert protectors in our industry unmatched by any others. Although interview/interrogation techniques may differ amongst different "schools" of thought, the methods which work towards many more beneficial endings in the casino environment are the "rapport building" techniques. These methods allow for the interviewer to seek a comfortable alliance building bond with their subject. The purpose is to gain the admission, but it also allows for the interviewer to "step back" if the need arises. This way our liabilities are considered and we can assist in protecting the positive work atmosphere. One fantastic aspect to this process that will feel second nature to the seasoned Surveillance Professional is the aspect of recognizing the behavioral traits of the guilty. Watching, or even better; performing an interview or interrogation which has been dutifully prepared to elicit changes in behavior can bring excitement and massive benefit to the case. Imagine showing a Human Resources representative a change in behavior by a subject directly indicating guilt or deception. This is only one benefit of what expanding the surveillance investigative toolbox can bring to each case. Change is always scary, but it can also be invigorating. While change is always present, it should be constantly sought so that control is always possible. Embracing the concept of expanding the toolbox and seeking innovative ways of protecting the company's assets has always seemed to be the Surveillance Professional's focus, so this tool fits nicely in our repertoire if considered, researched, trained and implemented properly.
"The Catwalk" is presented by World Game Protection, Inc. More articles can be found by visiting the archive at http://www.worldgameprotection.com/archive/. For more information about World Game Protection, please visit the Web site at WorldGameProtection.com. © 2006. World Game Protection, Inc. |
