Police officers work tirelessly to uphold the law, find the truth after a crime, and protect their communities. The more resources, skillsets, and knowledge a police officer has, the better they can serve the public. This is where continued law enforcement training comes in, to help the police do their jobs to their absolute best, protecting themselves, their fellow officers, and the community.
When considering training for law enforcement, Forensic Statement Analysis (FSA) and Forensic Behavioral Analysis (FBA) are a “must have.” These tools, respectively, study the words and language of a person of interest and the behavior and physical cues during an interview to determine truth and deception.
While some law enforcement training courses focus on either FBA or FSA, Law-Tech Consultants firmly believes that police officers need both, and that’s why our training is a two-in-one, teaching both FSA and FBA simultaneously.
Learn about FSA and FBA training for law enforcement, and why one course with both skillsets is the most beneficial for you, your colleagues, your police department, and your community.
What is Forensic Statement Analysis for Law Enforcement
FSA focuses on uncovering the truth in a statement by studying the words, either written or spoken, from a person of interest, not an analysis of their handwriting. It is a powerful investigative tool based upon the foundation that if a person of interest has guilty knowledge and attempts to deceive the interviewer, their own words will betray them if, in fact, they are guilty.
In other words, if given the opportunity to explain, what they “meant” to say and what they “did” say will contradict, but such cues are only recognizable using FSA.
Example
While holding a blue pen, you’re asked to describe it using the word “this” or “that.” You then say, “This pen is blue”. Conversely, when held across the room, you say, “That pen is blue” because it is no longer in close proximity but rather, a far distance away.
In an actual case, if you have a person of interest at the crime scene, and they refer to “this little gun” that is 20 feet away from them, and knowing use of the word “this” shows a close distance, it suggests he is subconsciously recalling the gun being small, compared to his hand, when he held it up close, which is why he used the word “this.”
Based upon his word choice of “this” vs “that”, it would cause you to consider him for further questioning.
This approach is expanded upon when talking to anyone who witnessed or was involved in a crime. The small details, or subtle word choice, will dictate the pathway forward in question development to ultimately uncover the truth.
Core Components of FSA Training
Pronouns: The presence or omission of pronouns (i.e., I, we, you, he, she, it, they, us, them, etc.), when properly analyzed, can solve 80%-85% of cases, according to the FSA founder
Tense: While the person of interest should always speak or write in the past tense, their use of the present or future tense should result in further scrutiny of their statement
Sensory Descriptions: Too few details, or too many, may reveal how much of the statement is a fabrication
Time Gaps: Use a timeline to identify missing gaps of time
Language: Use or omission of names and titles can reveal closeness or distance between individuals
Emotion: Should be found at the end of a truthful statement, not in the beginning or middle
Reinforcers: Words such as “honestly”, “on my mother’s grave”, “I swear,” etc., are a desperate plea to believe their story and ultimately, their deception
Order of Events: A linear account vs hopping around a story can be an indicator of a fabricated story. To combat this, consider having them tell the story from the end to the beginning. Like repeating the alphabet, A-Z is easy, but Z-A is challenging and requires more thought. For the person who fabricates a story, it’s especially difficult to repeat a story in reverse while simultaneously being deceptive.
Why FSA Training Is Important for Law Enforcement
Law enforcement engages with the public on a daily basis: witnesses, victims, suspects, etc. Talking with people, whether in a formal interview or during a traffic stop, provides opportunities to be deceptive, which could also cost an officer their life.
FSA conveniently allows the examination of written or oral statements without the person(s) being present! Like a carpenter, the more tools you have in your toolbox, the more successful the outcome.
What is Forensic Behavioral Analysis for Law Enforcement
What a person says can be a highly important indicator of truth or deception, but how a person behaves is just as important. Forensic Behavioral Analysis (FBA) for law enforcement is about analyzing a person’s body language, speech patterns, motivations, and other physical cues to identify truth and deception.
Example: Open shoulders and a relaxed upper body during a truthful exchange vs a closed shoulder, tight, and tense upper body when being deceptive.
Knowing what to look for in body language will help an officer tailor their line of questioning to develop rapport or deduce when the truth is being withheld. This is a critical skillset for real-time reactions to help law officers perform at their most efficient and increase safety.
Core Aspects of FBA Training
Normal Behavioral Baseline Pattern: Assessing a person’s natural behavior vs unnatural reactions, like fast talking or fidgeting
Speech Patterns: High-pitched voice changes, stammering, long pauses, and other sudden verbal cues may indicate they are not being 100% honest
Verbal vs Nonverbal: A person may be saying “no” but nodding their head side to side, indicating contradictory answers
Delayed Responses: Long pauses before answering simple questions may be a red flag for law enforcement
Emotional Reactions: Are the emotional reactions, laughing vs crying, matching the topic of conversation during the interaction
Why Forensic Behavioral Analysis is Important for Law Enforcement
Before a witness, suspect, or victim even has a chance to talk, their body language can be descriptive of what is to come. Police can quickly determine a threat or an unsafe situation and conduct themselves appropriately to handle the situation.
Real-Time Analysis: Know in the moment what your interviewee is feeling or considering. As you approach them, if their hands are clenched in a fist or praying, what might that tell you?
Guide the Interview: Keeping the interview on track is critical; otherwise, they might consciously or subconsciously derail the interview, resulting in an unproductive outcome.
Build Rapport: People talk, and confess, to those they like, and so, if they don’t like you, then it’s highly probable that they won’t provide the information you seek.
Using FSA and FBA Together in Law Enforcement
An argument can be made on whether to focus on FSA or FBA for in-service training, but the bottom line is that both are important skill sets for law enforcement officers.
At Law-Tech Consultants, we are the first, and still the only firm, since 1998, to share both FSA and FBA in one class because when used simultaneously, they provide a dynamic advantage for law enforcement officers.
When officers are appropriately trained to detect the truth in ALL situations, they have a more well-rounded, well-equipped team to handle the unforeseen circumstances that are encountered every day on the job.
When FSA and FBA are Taught Together, You Get the Benefits Of:
- Enhanced officer safety
- Ease in uncovering the truth to solve more cases
- Avoid false confessions by identifying coerced confessions to find the right suspect
- Better protection for the community
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Forensic Statement Analysis (FSA) and Forensic Behavioral Analysis (FBA)?
FSA focuses on analyzing the words—spoken or written—used by suspects, witnesses, or victims, while FBA examines nonverbal cues such as body language, speech patterns, and emotional reactions to detect deception.
Why is it important for police officers to learn both FSA and FBA?
Using both skill sets together allows officers to detect deception more accurately, protect themselves and the public, avoid false confessions, and uncover hidden truths during investigations.
What are some examples of cues studied in FSA training?
FSA training looks at pronoun use, tense changes, sensory descriptions, time gaps in statements, emotional input, and the order of events to identify truth or deception.
How does FBA help officers during real-time interviews?
FBA equips officers to read immediate physical and vocal cues—such as stress signals, delayed responses, or contradictory body language—allowing them to adjust questions, build rapport, and guide interviews effectively.
What makes Law-Tech Consultants’ training unique?
Unlike separate courses, Law-Tech Consultants combines FSA and FBA into one integrated program, teaching officers how to analyze both language and behavior simultaneously for stronger, real-world investigative skills.
