Lumsden, K. (2016). Police Officer and Civilian Staff Receptivity to Research and Evidence-Based Policing in the UK: Providing a Contextual Understanding through Qualitative Interviews. Policing, paw036.
Easton, M., & Ponsaers, P. (2010). The view of the police on community policing in Belgian multicultural neighbourhoods. New empirical data, theories and analyses on safety, societal problems and citizens’ perceptions, 161-182.
Buttle, J., Fowler, C., & Williams, M. W. (2010). The impact of rural policing on the private lives of New Zealand police officers. International Journal of Police Science & Management, 12(4), 596-606.
Moskos, P., & Jay, J. (2008). Two shades of blue: Black and white in the blue brotherhood. In Law Enforcement Executive Forum (Vol. 8, No. 5, pp. 57-86).
Years ago, I used the research by Maurice Punch for course work, e.g.
Punch, M. (1989). Researching police deviance: A personal encounter with the limitations and liabilities of field-work. The British Journal of Sociology, 40(2), 177-204.
Eric: I am a field researcher. However, I specialize in business situations, not the police. Are you familiar with Peter K. Manning (1977), Police Work. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press? John Van Maanen wrote many observation pieces on police work, but I do not recall the specific subject of questioning suspects being covered. Of course, when one is conducting observation there is almost always some interviewing involved. Any Roy Lewicki and associates Negotiation text will include a description of good cop-bad cop. The bad cop questions a person in an upsetting fashion. The good cop replaces the bad cop and is far more sympathetic and may provide some food or a smoke. Many Negotiation and OB texts also cover the Prisoners' Dilemma. If two suspects only keep their mouths shut, they will go free. By questioning them separately, and playing off the fear one will squeal and make a plea deal, the two may break. Sometimes information from a cellmate or associate can be used to give the impression the other has started talking. There are also the well known methods of ringing people with several hostile police to intimidate a person via negative comments to break down the person's resistance. I am sure you have heard of putting person in a seat where either the sun or other lights shine on him/her. Given suspects in the U.S. have Miranda rights, once a lawyer is brought in to represent a person, some of the drama becomes far more limited. Best of luck with your work, Bruce
Prior studies have indicated that most officers are open and generous during interviews (Fletcher, 1990), while others have reported paranoia and signs of suspicion (Baker, 1985, p. 5). Researchers should realized that the sensitive topic could possibly result in similar signs of suspicion and might jeopardize participation. In attempt to overcome this problem questions asked during the interview should be designed in a semi‐structured open‐ended manner (Henslin, 1972, p. 52; see also Jacobs et al., 2000, p. 175), so that probing questions could be introduced when the officers articulated key responses. The interviews should be conducted in a low‐moderate approach (also known as non‐directive, see Roethlisberger and Dickson, 1938); this method is important for goals that emphasize exploratory research (Morgan, 1988). Such approach allows officers to respond to what they felt was important to them (Rice, 1931, p. 561; see also Jacobs et al., 2000, p. 175). Interviews should be tape recorded and later transcribed verbatim for analysis.