Students will explore more complex interviewing challenges, again using real life case study examples to demonstrate the effectiveness of the methods discussed.

The interactive course will challenge students to understand and adapt to interviewees with challenging personalities, including some personality disorders, substance abuse issues and other factors commonly encountered in criminal behaviour.

Students will also discuss trauma informed interview approaches that can significantly improve interviews with victims and vulnerable witnesses.

Jim Smyth, M.O.M. Chief Instructor

Jim is a seasoned forensic interviewer with 35 years of law enforcement experience. He has successfully obtained court admissible confessions in several of Canada’s most high-profile criminal cases. He has also had a lot of success helping to clear innocent people that were suspected of serious crimes through effective communication. Jim has been very fortunate to have worked with hundreds of high performing teams. Most of Jim’s career has been focused on the investigation of violent crime and supporting those investigations through behavioural analysis of serial crimes, sexual crimes, and homicides. His interest in the skill of forensic interviewing began in the earlier portion of his career, when I was investigating child abuse and sexual assault cases. The allegations were often provided by a young child who was only able to tell us the story from their memory of events, which due to their age, was sometimes confusing. With little to no forensics — or anything else — our options were simply to charge or clear somebody with little evidence or put our best foot forward and try to communicate with the suspect to get a sense of what had occurred. Those interviews helped me to learn how to talk with people in a way that allowed me to get information that is truthful and credible — and showed me that interviewing truly is a skill that must be learned, one that requires a firm grasp on human behaviour, building trust and rapport, and keeping a respectful and level head at all times. My approach to interviewing has also been studied extensively and has been the subject of scientific research projects by some of the world’s leading forensic psychologists, who consistently find that this approach is the most effective and fair way to elicit truthful information from almost anyone.

Using real life interview case studies, students will engage in an interactive discussion of best investigative interviewing best practices.

Students will explore how to effectively plan and approach potential interviewees in order to ensure they willingly agree to participate in an interview.

Students will also learn how to conduct an interview in a manner that builds rapport and mutual respect, allowing for a complete and truthful conversation that maximizes information gathering and allows for a continuing relationship that enhances the effectiveness of the investigative process.

Students will complete 1 Module per week for 7 weeks. 

Jim Smyth, M.O.M. Chief Instructor

Jim is a seasoned forensic interviewer with 35 years of law enforcement experience. He has successfully obtained court admissible confessions in several of Canada’s most high-profile criminal cases. He has also had a lot of success helping to clear innocent people that were suspected of serious crimes through effective communication. Jim has been very fortunate to have worked with hundreds of high performing teams. Most of Jim’s career has been focused on the investigation of violent crime and supporting those investigations through behavioural analysis of serial crimes, sexual crimes, and homicides. His interest in the skill of forensic interviewing began in the earlier portion of his career, when I was investigating child abuse and sexual assault cases. The allegations were often provided by a young child who was only able to tell us the story from their memory of events, which due to their age, was sometimes confusing. With little to no forensics — or anything else — our options were simply to charge or clear somebody with little evidence or put our best foot forward and try to communicate with the suspect to get a sense of what had occurred. Those interviews helped me to learn how to talk with people in a way that allowed me to get information that is truthful and credible — and showed me that interviewing truly is a skill that must be learned, one that requires a firm grasp on human behaviour, building trust and rapport, and keeping a respectful and level head at all times. My approach to interviewing has also been studied extensively and has been the subject of scientific research projects by some of the world’s leading forensic psychologists, who consistently find that this approach is the most effective and fair way to elicit truthful information from almost anyone.

TBA presented by Desmond Taljaard titled:

Detecting Deception: What are the signs?
An Investigator's insights

Can you tell when someone is lying to you? As it turns out, you might not be as good at it as you think. With the pandemic changing how we do our jobs, the ability to spot a lie is incredibly useful–perhaps more useful than ever. Using some simple but effective techniques, find out how you can get better at separating truths from lies.

Presenter Desmond Taljaard, Director of Risk Solutions & Investigations at Xpera, will focus on detecting lies and the "red flags" of lying; define the relationship between lying and fraud; and use real-world examples to demonstrate the investigative techniques used by detectives to spot lies.

These webinars are for current members only
Click here to become a member

Notice of Special Members Meeting 

Friday, April 26, 2024 @ 10:00 am EDT via Zoom 

Motion to Adopt new ONCA Compliance By-laws

Hello CPIO Members,

I hope you are all enjoying the start of spring and the promise of warm days ahead! The Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010 (Ontario) or (ONCA) is finally taking effect on October 18, 2024. As has been mentioned in previous correspondences, and at both the PD Day and Special Members Meeting afterward on November 16, 2023, we have been re-writing the CPIO By-laws to ensure our compliance. We have had a few setbacks, which has delayed the AGM, but after a great many hours of hard work by Vanessa Greenblatt (who started the process in December 2020) and the expert guidance of Corporate Governance Lawyers, PooranLaw Professional Corporation (at an estimated cost of $5,000), we now have a finished product that we proudly present to you, the membership, for approval and adoption.

There are many changes to the old By-laws, some due to compliance issues and some, to provide clarification to matters that were either missing, ambiguous or confusing.

There are also some major changes designed as a statement of principal to:

1. Protect of the CPIO Designations Program.

2. In the short-term, to provide continuity and stability in the CPIO leadership during the early stages of the Designations Program. A by-product is that it also, allows for those with an interest in a higher position on the Board to gain the experience and knowledge to move forward.

3. In the long-term, to provide a purposeful structure for the transparent continuity of leadership through experience.

4. To protect the CPIO from being used by Directors/Officers/Presidents for their own agenda.

The Designations Program has been a huge success and is gathering momentum everyday. We have over 70 Designation holders of various levels, more than 150 people have taken courses, and we now have a candidate for the Designations Program from BC (who is also licensed in Ontario). The Designations Program has moved the CPIO to a new level of a professional organization, and we feel that it is imperative to protect the program in its embryonic stages. To do this, we have proposed that Officers of the CPIO have an extra term on the Board (giving them a total of 8 years if they so wish). We are also proposing that all Directors have a Designation or obtain a Designation within their first term on the Board.

The amended By-laws allow for any changes to be made to the Designation Protocols, but only with the full knowledge and agreement of the Members. The By-laws also allows for the CPIO to expand beyond the borders of Ontario if needed.

The proposed By-laws, the old By-laws and crib sheet of the major changes are attached to this email.

Please review the documents and direct any questions to info@cpiontario.ca at least three (3) days prior to the Special Members Meeting so that they may be answered in plenty of time. The voting will be made by secret ballot. As a reminder, Agency Members are entitled to two (2) votes and Individual Members one (1) vote. A member can also carry a maximum of two (2) proxy votes.

Thank you everyone!

Martin O. Jaekel, CFE, CII, CCPI, CPIO-MI

Director of Ethics and By-Laws

**For those CPIO Members in good standing who cannot attend, they may complete the Proxy Vote Form and email it, as indicated on the form** 

CPIO By-laws 2016.pdf

CPIO Amended By-Laws-Member Approval .pdf

Important Amendments To CPIO By-laws.pdf

CPIO Proxy Vote Form-Friday, April 26, 2024.pdf

THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2024

CPIO AGM & Networking Event

The CPIO is pleased to Announce an in-person AGM and Social Event at  Osteria Mattarello, 230 Commerce Valley Drive East, Markham (407/404) on Thursday, May 2, 2024 from 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM.

Members are encouraged to bring a guest. Partner, friends, family, colleagues, and clients are all welcome!

The AGM portion of the evening is exclusively for Members from 7:00 PM -7:25 PM - a separate area will be provided for this time.  

Tickets are only $10 per Member/guest, which will allow entry into the private area, 2 alcoholic drinks, and a selection of Italian cuisines. Any additional orders will be paid independently by the guest. Tickets will not be sold at the event.

For those who wish to spend the night in the area, there is a Hilton or Sheraton within walking distance to the venue.

If you are considering staying at a hotel, please email info@cpiontario.ca for more information. 

* Tickets for the AGM 2024 are non-refundable and non-transferable.

SAVE THE DATE

CPIO Professional Development Day 2024

Thursday, November, 14, 2024

More Information TBA