Philosophers and great thinkers, inventors and investigators, have nearly always preferred the sense of sight to the sense of sound. In court, witnesses who testify based on what they saw are favored over those who recount what they heard. Dr. Gabriel Raam, body language expert, highlights that a well trained eye can discover much more than what the voice can reveal.
An understanding of body language interpretation is as important an instrument to investigators and security personnel as a detection dog is to the police. Both resources are tools that, in and of themselves are not revelatory, but rather give the investigator an excellent idea of where to look for hidden clues. Such believes Dr. Gabriel Raam, world-renowned Israeli non-verbal communication and body language expert.
Dr. Raam divides a security professional’s function into two parts, whether it is that of a security director, or a VIP/executive protection agent. The first element consists of an initial mapping-out of the different possibilities/scenarios in the location where the professional has been assigned. The second part consists of identifying, as early as possible, a suspect with hostile intentions, taking him into custody and interrogating him. An awareness of body language is essential in both cases, as the security professional must be able to identify when the suspect is lying or trying to hide something during interrogation.
An ill-intentioned individual wandering around a shopping mall, explains Dr. Raam, will be found walking the periphery of that open space, close to stores or along columns, rather than straight through the center of the mall. The individual, trying to appear as invisible as possible, may also try to minimize his presence by wearing dark clothing, or slouching. His pace will be inconsistent: he will walk, stop, look to his side or behind himself to see if he’s being followed, and then quickly resume a walk. This individual’s behavior is completely different from that of an ordinary person. “A seasoned security director will quickly zero on such an individual, observing from a distance, prepared to see if he or she is carrying something under his or her clothing”, adds Dr. Raam.
Some people who are stressed personally or professionally go to shopping malls simply to relax. How can one differentiate between someone who is trying to unwind and someone with hostile intentions?
“A person subjected to personal, professional, or any other type of pressure will never behave like someone with less amicable intentions. Someone stressed will stroll along the center of the mall and will not try to keep himself hidden by sticking to the walls. This type of individual will not change his style of dress to appear discreet, nor will he abruptly alternate walking and stopping, but rather he will continue to walk fairly upright at a moderate pace.”
Once the suspect is identified, he can be taken into custody. “It is very important not to alarm the suspect before approaching him or her”, explains Dr. Raam. “The security professional should approach the individual without indicating any exceptional intentions, and once by his side explain courteously and amicably that his presence is requested for a brief conversation, and would he mind joining him. All this is done while monitoring for potential escape and without disturbing the surrounding peace of the establishment and those occupying it”.
“From the moment that the suspect is taken in for interrogation, body language monitoring begins. Sweating is typically the first and most revealing symptom, and is seen on the forehead and upper lip. As the interrogation progresses, different body parts begin to send messages as the suspect’s system is stressed in its attempt to conceal the truth”.
“The interrogation table is the greatest obstacle for the investigator”, states Dr. Raam. “The suspect should never be placed behind a desk or table. He should be seated in an exposed chair, where his entire body can be observed, especially his hands and legs, those peripheral body parts that unintentionally reveal information that the suspect is trying to conceal”.
“While facial muscles can be more or less controlled consciously, we have less control over our arms and legs, which is why the most information can be interpreted from those areas”, explains Dr. Raam. “Any sudden movement of the arms and legs, lifting of the heel, increase or decrease in the space between the legs, or crossing of the arms or ankles, are clues that the subject may be hiding something at that point in the interview. Other telltale signs include tightening the fist into a ball until the knuckles whiten, fingernail biting, knuckle-cracking, or the excessive movement of the lips or eyelids”.
Is the interrogated individual really unaware of his or her own body’s response?
“Most people are unaware of their own bodies’ signals, and even less so when under pressure. The interrogated person tends to believe that the investigator is focusing on what he or she is saying, and not his body, so most people try instead to concentrate on what they are saying and how they are saying it”.
What happens when suspects decide to remain silent and motionless?
“Such situations do in fact occur. But when a person intentionally freezes himself, it’s similar to blocking the output of a garden hose – the garden hose expands from the buildup of pressure and takes on a different shape. For the human, there is an intensification of those involuntary body signals. In such situations, the suspect will become dehydrated, as evident through his attempt to repeatedly moisten the lips with the tongue. Afterwards, when his or her throat becomes dry, the Adam’s apple can clearly be seen rising and falling as the individual forces saliva to be swallowed”.
“In cases of extreme stress”, explains Dr. Raam, “the eyes begin darting back and forth, and the pupils dilate. The suspect will become flushed, and the top part of the ears will begin to redden. Other signs include constant movement or sudden stopping, playing with shirt buttons, or scratching the body because of irregular blood flow. When someone scratches his ear, his body is saying, ‘I can’t continue to listen to what you’re saying to me’. Scratching the eye is interpreted as, ‘I can’t talk about what you’re showing me’. And it is precisely at this point where the investigator understands that it is time to deepen the investigation”.
PURCHASE THE ONLINE SECURITY MANAGEMENT COURSE
PSOSONLINE© All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part prohibited without the prior written consent of PSOS.
