Institute of Criminal Justice Studies

Profile

BSc (Hons). PhD CPsychol CSci AFBPsS

Becky Milne is a Reader in Forensic Psychology at the Institute of Criminal Justice Studies at the University of Portsmouth. She is the course leader of the FdA Investigation and Evidence and the FdA in Police Studies, distance learning degree programmes specifically for investigators and police officers respectively.

A chartered forensic psychologist and scientist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, she is an Associate Editor of the International Journal of Police Science and Management and is on the editorial boards for the Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling and the British Journal of Forensic Practice. Becky is one of the Academic lead members of the Association of Chief Police Officers Investigative Interviewing Strategic Steering Group and is Deputy Chair of the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group.

She has worked closely with the police and other criminal justice organisations (in the UK and abroad) through training of the Enhanced Cognitive Interview, Witness Interview Advising and also in the interviewing of vulnerable groups (Tier 3 and 5) and providing case advice.

Becky was part of a writing team who developed the Achieving Best Evidence Document (Home Office, 2007) National guidance regarding how best to interview vulnerable and intimidated witnesses and victims.

Becky was given the Tom Williamson award for her outstanding achievements in the field of investigative interviewing by ACPO in April 2009.

Centre of Forensic Interviewing

Becky recently opened (January 2010) the Centre of Forensic Interviewing: Research and training which will provide training in investigative interviewing for all types of investigator at all stages of their career; from learning the basics, to advanced interview skills, and master classes. The Centre will also enhance the student learning environment by enabling students to participate and examine interviews being conducted. The Centre will also host research projects and will provide an exciting opportunity to conduct new avenues of work in this field which will in turn help to inform the training provided to the practitioners. The Centre encompasses state of the art digital interview recording suites, provided by Indico Systems.

Expertise Key Areas

• Cognitive interview
• Investigative interviewing: PEACE: Tiers 1-5 (PIP Levels 1-2 specialist)
• Miscarriages of Justice
• Interviewing vulnerable groups (e.g. children, people with learning disability)
• Investigation processes

Research Projects And Ph.D. Supervision Areas

• 2010 ESRC follow-on grant (with Prof. Amina Memon, Royal Holloway, and Prof Dan Wright, Florida International University) – Best use of identification parades. (£69638.88)
• A University Rio Grande do Sul Port Alegrae, Brasil funded project (with Prof. Lillian Stein and Masters student Graca Ballardin). Beyond interviewing techniques: Interviewer individual characteristics in police investigative interviews with witnesses.
• French National Research Agency Grant (with Fanny Verkampt a post-doc at the University Blaise Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand) – The cognitive interview and children: a meta-analysis.
• A project with Dr. Nicky Miller of the National Policing Improvement Agency, Serious Crime Analysis Section: on a National assessment of adult sexual offence victim interviews: How effective are they?
• A Leverhulme funded project led by Dr. Robyn Holliday, (University of Leicester) with Prof. Ray Bull and Prof. Amina Memon entitled: Interviewing the older witness.
• A Queensland Police, Australia, funded project led by Prof. Martine Powell (Deakin University) and Prof Mark Kebbell (Griffith University) examining the measurement and prediction of police interviewing performance and dissemination of good practice through a distributive workplace learning system. (Specifically for interviewing sex offenders).
• Deakin University project led by Prof. Martine Powell, with Mia Gentle, examining:  Interviewing children with LD – a story narrative approach.
• A University of Portsmouth funded elective student project; led by Becky Milne, with Dr. Lorraine Hope, Rachel Williams, and Dr. Colin Clarke entitled: Hand-written statements: How accurate are they really?
• An ACPO approved project; led by Dr. Milne with Supt. Andy Griffiths (Sussex Police) , Pete Gartrell (Devon and Cornwall Police) entitled: . A National evaluation of the CI; Does it work in the field? How skilled are we?

PhD Research Student Projects

• A project with Katherine Prescott: Interviewing the older adult; Obtaining best evidence
• A project with Anita Grzybek: Speaking in tongues; the use of interpreters; help or hindrance?
• A project with Martin O'Neill, Kent County Constabulary titled: Investigators: Who are they? What do they do? What skills do they possess?
• A project with Sussex Police entitled: Initial investigation: improving effective communication.
• A project with Sam Leahy, Home Office, and Prof Ray Bull, University of Leicester, titled: Investigative interviewing: The suspect’s viewpoint.
• A project with Nina Westera, New Zealand Police Service and Prof. Mark Kebbell, Griffith University, titled:  Investigative interviewing: Investigation and evidential perspectives.
• A project with Sam Poyser, Senior Lecturer, The role of the media in remedying miscarriages of justice.
• A project with Brendan O’Mahony, a registered intermediary on Intermediaries and vulnerable defendants.
• A project with Joanne Richards, a full-time bursary student on People with ASD and the best methods for interviewing.
• A project with Sean O'Callaghan - Interviewing suspects - a US perspective.

Publications

[from 2009; see earlier publications]

Research articles 2013

• Westera, N., Kebbell, M., and Milne, R. (2013). Losing two thirds of the story: A comparison of the video-recorded police interview and live evidence of rape complainants. Criminal Law Review, 4, 290-308.
• Milne, R. Sharman, S., Powell, M. and Mead, S. (2013). Assessing the impact of the cognitive interview on children with severe intellectual disabilities. International Journal of Development, Disability and Education, 60, 18-29.
• Gentle, M., Milne, R., Powell, M. and Sharman, S. (2013). Does the cognitive interview promote the coherence of narrative accounts in children with and without intellectual disability?  International Journal of Development, Disability and Education, 60, 30-43.
• Horry, R., Memon, A., Milne, R., Wright, D. and Dalton, G. (2013). Video identification of suspects: A discussion of current practice and policy in the United Kingdom.    Policing; A Journal of Policy and Practice, pp. 1–9, doi:10.1093/police/pat008.
• Prescott, K, Clarke, J., and Milne, R. (in press). How effective is the cognitive interview when used with adults with learning disabilities specifically for conversation recall? Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disability.
• Read, J., Powell, M., Kebbell, M., and Milne, R. (in press). Evaluating police interviewing practices with suspects in child sexual abuse cases. Policing and Society.

Research articles 2012

• Westera, N., Kebbell, M., and Milne, R. (2012). Interviewing rape victims: Prosecutor’s perceptions of interview format and quality of evidence. Psychology, Crime and Law, 1-16, iFirst.
• Snook, B., Luther, K., Quinlan, H., and Milne, R., (2012). Let ‘em talk. A Field study of police suspect questioning practices. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 39, 1328-1339.
• O’Mahony, B., Milne, R., and Grant, T. (2012). To challenge or not to challenge; interviewing vulnerable suspects. Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 6, 301-313.
• Horry, R., Wright, D., Memon, A., Milne, R. (2012). Prediciting eyewitness identification decisions from video lineups in England; A field study. Law and Human Behavior, 36, 257-265.

Research articles 2011

• Holliday, R.E, Humphries, J. E., Milne, R., Memon, A., Houlder, L., Lyons, A., and Bull, R., (2011). Reducing misinformation effects in older adults with the cognitive interview mnemonics. Psychology and Aging, Advance on-line publication. Doi: 10.1037/a0022031.
• Westera, N., Kebbell, M., and Milne, R. (2011). Interviewing rape victims: Police officer's perceptions of interview format and quality of evidence. Journal of Applied Cognitive Psychology, 25, 917-926.
• Fisher, R., Milne, R. and Bull, R. (2011). Interviewing cooperative witnesses. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20. 16-19.
• Clarke, C., Milne, R., and Bull, R. (2011). Interviewing suspects of crime; The impact of PEACE training, supervision and the presence of a legal advisor. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, 8,  149-162.
• Dando, C., Omerod, T., Wilcock, R., and Milne, R. (2011). Eyewitness Memory and Change Temporal Order Retrieval: Help or Hindrance? Cognition, 121, 416-421.
• Milne, R. and Roberts, K. (2011). Investigation and investigative interviewing: A practical perspective. Special issue of the British Journal of Forensic Practice, 13.
• Oxburgh, G., Walsh, D., and Milne, R. (2011). Investigative interviewing and applied research. Special issue of Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, 8, 105-216.
• O’Mahony, B., Smith, K., and Milne, R. (2011). The identification of the vulnerable witness prior to an investigative interview. British Journal of Forensic Practice, 13, 114-123.
• Prescott, K., Milne, R., and Clarke, J. (2011). How effective is the Enhanced Cognitive Interview when aiding recall retrieval of older adults specifically with regards to conversation?  Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender    Profiling, 8, 257-270.
• Griffiths, A., Milne, R., and Cherryman, J. (2011). A question of control? The formulation of suspect and witness interview question strategies by advanced interviewers. International Journal of Police Science and Management, 13, 1-13.
• Westera, N., Kebbell, M., and Milne, R. (2011). Interviewing witnesses will investigative and evidential requirements ever concord? British Journal of Forensic Practice, 13, 103-113.
• Poyser, S., and Milne, R. (2011). Miscarriages of justice: A call for continued research focusing on reforming the investigative process. British Journal of Forensic Practice, 13, 61-71.

Research articles 2010

• Jones, D., Grieve, J., and Milne, R. (2010). Reviewing the reviewers. The review of homicides in the United Kingdom. Investigative Sciences Journal, 2, 1-31.
• Dando, C., Wilcock, R., Behnkle, C., and Milne, R. (2010). Modifying the Cognitive Interview: Countenancing forensic application by enhancing practicability. Psychology, Crime and Law, iFirst, 1-21.

Research articles 2009

• Dando, C. J., Wilcock, R. & Milne, R. (2009). The Cognitive Interview: novice police officers’ witness/victim interviewing practices. Psychology, Crime, & Law, 15, 679-696.
• Read, J., Powell, M. B., Kebbell, M. R., and Milne, R. (2009). Investigative interviewing of suspected sex offenders: A review of what constitutes best practice. International Journal of Police Science and Management, 11, 442-459.
• Dando, C. J., Wilcock, R., Milne, R., & Henry, L. (2009). A modified Cognitive Interview procedure for frontline police investigators. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 23, 698-716.
• Dando, C. J., Wilcock, R. & Milne, R. (2009). The Cognitive Interview: The efficacy of a modified mental reinstatement of context procedure for frontline police investigators. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 23, 138-147.

Research articles 2008

• Jones, D., Grieve, J and Milne, R. (2008). Reviewing the reviewers. The Journal of Homicide and Major Incident Investigation, 4, 59-69.
• Vrij, A, Mann, S., Fisher, R., Leal, S., Milne, R., and Bull, R. (2008). Increasing cognitive load to facilitate lie detection: The benefit of recalling an event in reverse order. Law and Human Behavior, 32, 253-265.
• Jones, D., Grieve, J., and Milne, R. (2008). A case to review murder investigations. Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 2, 470-480.
• Walsh, D., and Milne, R. (2008). Keeping the PEACE? - A study of investigative interviewing practices in the public sector. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 13, 39-57.
• Dando, C., Wilcock, R., and Milne, R. (2008). The cognitive interview: Inexperienced police officers' perceptions of their witness/victim interviewing practices. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 13, 59-70.

Books and Book chapters 2012

• Wright, D., Memon, A., Dalton, G., Milne, R. & Horry, R. (2012). Field studies of eyewitness memory. In. B. Cutler. (Ed.), Reform of eyewitness identification procedures. APA publications.

Books and Book chapters 2011

• Smith, K., and Milne, R. (2011). Planning the interview. In M. Lamb., La Rooy, D.,
• Katz, C., and Malloy, L. (Eds.), Children’s testimony: A handbook of Psychological research and forensic practice. Chichester: Wiley.

Books and Book chapters 2010

• Milne, R., and Powell, M. (2010). Investigative interviewing. In J. M. Brown and E. A. Campbell. (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Forensic Psychology. Cambridge; Cambridge University Press.
• Milne, R., Poyser, S., Williamson, T. and Savage, S. (2010). Miscarriages of justice: What can we learn? Invited chapter to appear in Adler, J., and Gray, J. (Eds.), Forensic psychology: Concepts, debates and practice. Cullompton: Willan Publishing.
• Griffiths, A., and Milne, R. (2010). Application of the cognitive interview techniques as part of investigations. In C. A. Ireland, and M. Fisher. (Eds,). Consultancy and advising in forensic practice: Empirical and practical guidelines. Chichester: Wiley.

Books and Book chapters 2009

• Dando, C., and Milne, R. (2009). The cognitive interview. In R. Kocsis (Ed.). Applied Criminal Psychology: A guide to forensic behavioural sciences. Sydney: Charles C. Thomas Publishers.
• Milne, R., Savage, S., and Williamson, T. (2009). International developments in Investigative interviewing. Cullompton: Willan Publishing.
• Shawyer, A., Milne, R., and Bull, R. (2009). Investigative interviewing in the UK. In T. Williamson, S. Savage, and R. Milne. (Eds.), International developments in Investigative interviewing. Cullompton: Willan Publishing. 

Books and Book chapters 2008

• Wilcock, R., Bull, R., and Milne, R. (2008). Criminal identification by witnesses: Psychology and practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 

Television

• Shiers, K (Producer). (2010). Eyewitness. London: BBC / Open University. 
  [Episodes available Box of Broadcasts: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3.  See also Becky Milne explains the cognitive interview.]

Journal Association

• The British Journal of Forensic Practice
• International Journal of Police Science and Management
• Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling

Reports

• Clarke, C., and Milne, R. (2001). National evaluation of the PEACE investigative interviewing course. Police Research Award Scheme. London: Home Office.
• Clare, I., Milne, R., and Bull, R. (1996). Obtaining eye-witness information from people with learning disabilities. Final Report to the Mental Health Foundation.