NCJ Number
227285
Journal
International Journal of Police Science and Management Volume: 11 Issue: 2 Dated: Summer 2009 Pages: 183-192
Date Published
2009
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This research study compared the experiences of mock witnesses attending a live identification parade and the VIPER video identification parade.
Abstract
The findings reported were generally favorable toward the introduction of video identification parades. After looking at a live parade and before attending a video parade, over 75 percent of participant-witnesses reported that the identification procedure had made them feel nervous and 68 percent said that they would rather have seen a video parade. By comparison, after seeing the video parade only 25 percent reported feeling nervous and 45 percent said that they would rather have seen a live parade. After having seen both parades, just over 70 percent of the participant-witnesses judged the live identification parade as more stressful. However, analysis of responses to a mood adjective checklist revealed no statistically significant differences in the stress or arousal experienced after attending the live and the video parade. Recent amendments to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 of England and Wales, allow video identification parades to be employed as the primary mechanism to collect identification evidence. An important difference between the video procedure and the live identification parade is that the video procedure does not require the witness to come face to face with the perpetrator, which may reduce any stress experienced by the witness. This study investigated further the experience of being called to attend an identification parade. A field study was conducted to compare the experiences of participant-witnesses attending both a video and a live identification parade. Figure, tables, and references