Interview Techniques: The PEACE Model
On-Demand CourseCourse Overview
A 2-hour CE course on the P.E.A.C.E. interview model for private investigators and security professionals — rapport-building, cognitive interviewing, deception detection, and court-ready statements. Self-paced online.
What's Included
- • 2 hours of comprehensive training
- • Professional certification upon completion
- • Access to course materials
Learning Objectives
- • Apply the five stages of the P.E.A.C.E. interview model (Preparation and Planning, Engage and Explain, Account, Closure, and Evaluation)
- • Build rapport with witnesses, victims, and subjects using ethical, non-coercive interviewing techniques
- • Use cognitive interview methods and effective questioning to obtain complete, accurate accounts
- • Recognize deception indicators and manage difficult or uncooperative subjects professionally
- • Document interviews and produce court-ready statements that meet legal standards
Course Content
Introduction to the P.E.A.C.E. Method Framework
- • Understanding the Five Stages of P.E.A.C.E.
- • Professional Ethics in Investigations and Security
- • Cognitive Interview Techniques
- • Legal Requirements and Documentation Standards
Advanced Interview Strategy Development
- • Pre-Interview Planning and Intelligence Gathering
- • Building Rapport with Different Subject Types
- • Question Design and Active Listening Techniques
- • Handling Difficult Subjects and Deception Detection
Evidence Collection and Documentation
- • Professional Note-Taking Systems
- • Statement Taking and Written Documentation
- • Creating Court-Ready Interview Reports
- • Digital Recording Best Practices
Practical Applications and Case Management
- • Workplace Incident Investigations
- • Criminal Incident Interview Protocols
- • Witness and Victim Interview Strategies
- • Post-Interview Analysis and Case Building
Your Instructor
Catherine D. Flowers
Catherine Flowers is the Director of Training for PI Leadership Academy and Security Compliance Academy, where she develops and teaches board-approved continuing education for private investigators and security professionals across nine states. A Retired Raleigh Police Officer and former Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Army Military Police Corps, Catherine brings more than 27 years of field experience to the classroom. She is a North Carolina licensed private investigator and owner of Cat's Eye Private Investigations, a Raleigh firm with more than 200 five-star client reviews. Her instructor credentials include North Carolina Close Protection (CPP) instructor and Defense Technology OC Aerosol Instructor certifications, along with security guard instructor credentials in Georgia (armed) and unarmed guard instructor credentials in Florida, Tennessee, New York, and the Colorado cities of Denver and Pueblo. She has delivered P.E.A.C.E. Model investigative interviewing training to New York Life, a Fortune 100 insurance carrier, and was featured on the cover of PI Magazine in its May/June 2024 issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the P.E.A.C.E. Model?
P.E.A.C.E. is a globally recognized, non-accusatory framework for investigative interviewing. Each letter represents a phase of the interview: Preparation and Planning, Engage and Explain, Account, Closure, and Evaluation. Rather than pressuring someone into a confession, the model creates conditions where people feel safe enough to share information voluntarily — treating every interview as a conversation, not a confrontation.
Who is this course designed for?
The course is built for private investigators, HR professionals, and corporate security specialists conducting interviews outside of traditional law enforcement settings — including insurance fraud investigations, workplace and internal investigations, domestic cases, and due diligence work. It's suited to both new investigators and experienced professionals looking to modernize their approach.
Why does the course move away from aggressive interrogation tactics?
Older, pressure-based interrogation methods rely on confrontation, intimidation, and psychological pressure. The course explains that these tactics tend to backfire: they damage future cooperation, produce unreliable information (because stress impairs memory and long, exhausting sessions can push people toward false statements), and expose investigators and their organizations to serious legal risk when confessions are challenged in court. The P.E.A.C.E. approach is designed to get results that actually hold up under scrutiny.
What makes this approach more effective than traditional methods?
The course draws on research showing that trust and psychological safety — not pressure — are what unlock accurate, detailed disclosure. Techniques like free recall (letting someone narrate events in their own words without interruption) and context reinstatement (helping someone mentally revisit the sensory and emotional details of an event) are shown to produce more reliable information than leading or aggressive questioning.
What will I actually learn in the course?
The training is organized into five core chapters covering the full interview lifecycle: building case knowledge and a tailored interview strategy (Preparation and Planning), creating trust and rapport in the opening minutes (Engage and Explain), techniques for gathering accurate and complete information such as free recall and context reinstatement (Account), how to close an interview professionally while catching missed details (Closure), and how to review both the information gathered and your own performance to keep improving (Evaluation).
What Our Students Say
"I had the pleasure of attending two classes put on by PI Leadership Academy and was extremely pleased with the wealth of knowledge shared, but more importantly, the amount of experience that “Cat” brings to the Security industry. She brings great value to our industry and we will continue to partner with her organization. "
C. Weatherspoon
CEO & Founder, Witherspoon Enterprises