The most commmon lie that police officers tell is “I can’t recall,” according to Karen Kruger, a Maryland prosecutor who spoke Monday at the International Association of Chiefs of Police convention in Denver. Kruger was on a panel concerning police deception, reports PoliceOne.com. As she put it, “Why should I even go to a session entitled 'Police Officer Lying: Is Any Deception Acceptable'? Isn't the short answer to that 'no'?”
She continued, “Deception during interrogations to coerce a confession – that's just good police work – and the entire enterprise of undercover work is a complex, multi-layered deception. There are also lies justified by investigative necessity, and conduct intended to deceive that is not malicious in nature.” About the “I don't recall” tack, she said, “Oftentimes during internal affairs investigations an officer will remember every last detail about that day – what he had for breakfast, what uniform he was wearing, and everything else – except for that critical moment during an incident.”