An interrogator is a police or government official tasked with questioning people in order to obtain information. Interrogators rarely question non-suspect witnesses or victims because they are more likely to work with suspects or potential suspects. Interrogators use a variety of psychological and sometimes physical techniques to get subjects to tell the truth and give all of their information. An interrogator’s job is a contentious one that can lead to serious power abuse in some cases. Many interrogators argue that using violence or torture to obtain accurate information is ineffective, and that gaining a source’s trust and respect is preferable to gaining his or her fear.
Interrogation has long been associated with torture. Early interrogators were able to extract confessions and information from broken suspects inflicting physical pain. The majority of torture interrogation was legal and considered just punishment, especially during wartime. Unfortunately, the inaccuracy of physical torture is a drawback. Prisoners and suspects frequently confessed to crimes they did not commit, even when they knew the penalty would be death. When looking at devices like the rack, it’s understandable that death might seem like a fair price to pay to avoid daily, bone-breaking pain.
The accuracy of interrogation findings became critical to the safety of government agents as espionage became a more important part of government operations. Aside from moral concerns about torturing potentially innocent people, practicality suggested that extracting confessions or details from sources without pain would be easier and more humane for all parties involved. In the twentieth century, many governments moved to outlaw extreme forms of physical torture, though loopholes still allow the use of “physical discomfort,” such as sleep deprivation.
Aside from torture, an interrogator has a variety of options for gaining cooperation from hostile and potentially dangerous sources. Many of these techniques are psychological in nature, and they entail putting the source in a vulnerable and perplexed state so that they can form a trusting relationship with the interrogator. As the source is cut off from the outside world and any sense of life outside of confinement, his or her interrogator may become the source’s only link to freedom and the outside world. An interrogator can begin to obtain information exploiting this vulnerability.
Even without the use of physical torture, some people find the job of an interrogator repulsive. Threatening, manipulating, and deceiving a human being in order to trick him or her into giving information appears cold-hearted and cruel to critics. Interrogator information, on the other hand, has the potential to save lives, solve crimes, prevent attacks, and protect both military and civilian personnel. Those in favor of psychological interrogation argue that the information obtained is worth the humiliation and fear, though many object to the use of blood.
To do his or her job well, an interrogator must be at ease with the demands of the job. They are frequently highly trained military personnel who are multilingual and have been taught to read people and form bonds with their charges. Despite the fact that the job is not easy or universally admired, many people believe it is an important source of information that can protect innocent people.