Person of interest

This article is about a law enforcement term. For other uses, see Person of Interest.

"Person of interest" is a term used by law enforcement in the United States, Canada, and other countries when identifying someone possibly involved in a criminal investigation who has not been arrested or formally accused of a crime.[1] It has no legal meaning, but refers to someone in whom the police and/or domestic intelligence services are "interested", either because the person is cooperating with the investigation, may have information that would assist the investigation, or possesses certain characteristics that merit further attention.[2]

While terms such as suspect, target, and material witness have clear and sometimes formal definitions, person of interest remains undefined by the U.S. Department of Justice.[3] Unsub is a similar term which is short for "unknown subject" (used in the TV show Criminal Minds). Person of interest is usually used as a euphemism for suspect, and its careless use may encourage trials by media.

With respect to terrorism investigations, Eric Lichtblau wrote in the New York Times: "Law enforcement officials say that the term simply reflects the new tactics required to fight terrorism. But some legal scholars say officials are trying to create a more benign public image, even as their power expands."[4]

  1. ^ "Person of Interest". dictionary.cambridge.org. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
  2. ^ "What does person of interest mean?". www.definitions.net. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference DilemaOfInterest was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Lichtblau, Eric (2003-09-14) Words as Tactics In War on Terror, The New York Times