The PEACE method of investigative interviewing is a five stage[1][2] process in which investigators try to build rapport and allow a criminal suspect to provide their account of events uninterrupted, before presenting the suspect with any evidence of inconsistencies or contradictions. It is used to obtain a full account of events from a suspect rather than just seeking a confession - which is the goal of the Reid technique, in which interrogators are more aggressive, accusatory, and threatening in terms of proposing consequences for the suspect's failure to confess to the crime.
The PEACE method, which "encourages more of a dialogue between investigator and suspect"[3] was developed in Britain in response to the realisation that psychologically coercive techniques often led to false confessions. In 2015, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police adopted a new standard influenced by the PEACE model. Sergeant Darren Carr, who trains police with the new approach, described it as "less Kojak and more Dr. Phil". There is some resistance to adopting the PEACE model in Canada.[4] This approach avoids the use of deceptive information to overwhelm suspects. It emphasizes information gathering over eliciting confessions and discourages investigators from presuming a suspect's guilt.[3]