What is the first step in interviewing witnesses to ensure the integrity of the interview?

The first step in interviewing witnesses to ensure the integrity of the interview is to separate all witnesses immediately and interview them separately. This practice is critical because it prevents witnesses from contaminating each other's testimonies. When witnesses discuss their accounts with one another before being interviewed, there is a significant risk that they will inadvertently influence each other's memories or create a consensus that may not be accurate.

Separating witnesses allows each individual to provide an independent account of what they observed without outside influences. This helps to maintain the authenticity of each witness's recollection of events, which is essential for gathering reliable evidence. By conducting the interviews separately, law enforcement can also identify inconsistencies and corroborate details among different accounts, further ensuring the integrity of the investigation.

Other choices involve actions that could compromise the accuracy and reliability of witness statements. Encouraging discussions among witnesses or sharing known information with them might lead to biased or formulated responses. Informing victims of the suspect’s identity before they have had a chance to independently recount their experiences could also taint their testimonies. Thus, the practice of separating witnesses and interviewing them individually lays the foundational step for conducting thorough and unbiased witness interviews.