Interviewing: Cold case / trauma / skill fade – presented by A/Sgt. Dan Gervais, Ottawa P.S. and Dr. Kirk Luther, Associate Professor - Department of Psychology at Carleton University
Statement admissibility often turns on subtle interviewer behaviours, documentation gaps, skill drift, and misinterpretations of trauma that surface under legal scrutiny. In this joint presentation, Dan Gervais (Ottawa Police Service) and Kirk Luther (Carleton University) examine common systemic risks that place statements in jeopardy. These risks include including investigative bias, trauma misinterpretation, overconfidence in experience, and feedback deficits. Dan and Kirk will illustrate how structured academic–police partnerships can serve as practical risk-reduction tools. Drawing on real-world examples and collaborative initiatives , we provide a concrete blueprint for building partnerships that strengthen reliability, defensibility, and courtroom resilience.
Bios:
Daniel Gervais (A/Sergeant): Daniel is a member of the Ottawa Police Service with over 15 years of experience in law enforcement. He began his career with the RCMP in a remote fly-in community in Manitoba before joining the Ottawa Police Service in 2012. His policing experience includes frontline patrol, partner assault investigations, and work in the Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Section. Currently assigned to the Polygraph Unit, Daniel conducts examinations, supports major investigations through advanced interviewing, and delivers training in investigative interviewing. He holds a diploma in Police Foundations, a Bachelor of Arts, and is currently pursuing graduate studies.
Statement admissibility often turns on subtle interviewer behaviours, documentation gaps, skill drift, and misinterpretations of trauma that surface under legal scrutiny. In this joint presentation, Dan Gervais (Ottawa Police Service) and Kirk Luther (Carleton University) examine common systemic risks that place statements in jeopardy. These risks include including investigative bias, trauma misinterpretation, overconfidence in experience, and feedback deficits. Dan and Kirk will illustrate how structured academic–police partnerships can serve as practical risk-reduction tools. Drawing on real-world examples and collaborative initiatives , we provide a concrete blueprint for building partnerships that strengthen reliability, defensibility, and courtroom resilience.
Bios:
Daniel Gervais (A/Sergeant): Daniel is a member of the Ottawa Police Service with over 15 years of experience in law enforcement. He began his career with the RCMP in a remote fly-in community in Manitoba before joining the Ottawa Police Service in 2012. His policing experience includes frontline patrol, partner assault investigations, and work in the Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Section. Currently assigned to the Polygraph Unit, Daniel conducts examinations, supports major investigations through advanced interviewing, and delivers training in investigative interviewing. He holds a diploma in Police Foundations, a Bachelor of Arts, and is currently pursuing graduate studies.
Kirk Luther (Associate Professor): Kirk is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Carleton University, where he leads the PRISM (Psychological Research in Investigative Science and Methodology) lab. His research focuses on improving investigative practices through psychological science, with work spanning police interviewing, eyewitness evidence, and cold case investigations. Kirk regularly collaborates with justice sector partners and is committed to translating research into practical tools and training for investigators..
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John Park, Assistant Crown Attorney
Simcoe County Crown Attorney’s Office
John Park is an Assistant Crown Attorney with the Simcoe County Crown Attorney’s Office. Since being called to the bar in 2006, he has built a career prosecuting and defending criminal matters. As a defence lawyer, John represented individuals and corporations charged under the Criminal Code, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, and a wide range of federal and provincial regulatory legislations.
Before joining the Crown Attorney’s Office, John served as prosecution counsel for several provincial regulators, including the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council, the Travel Industry Council of Ontario, and the Ontario College of Trades, where he also trained both lay and professional investigators.
A passionate advocate for mental health, John is a former president of the Hong Fook Mental Health Association, the largest community-based mental health service and clinic provider in the Greater Toronto Area offering culturally competent care to newcomers in multiple languages.
In addition to his role as trial counsel, John is also a member of Ontario Ministry of Attorney General’s Intensive Serious Violent Crime Bail Team.
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John Park, Assistant Crown Attorney
Simcoe County Crown Attorney’s Office
John Park is an Assistant Crown Attorney with the Simcoe County Crown Attorney’s Office. Since being called to the bar in 2006, he has built a career prosecuting and defending criminal matters. As a defence lawyer, John represented individuals and corporations charged under the Criminal Code, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, and a wide range of federal and provincial regulatory legislations.
Before joining the Crown Attorney’s Office, John served as prosecution counsel for several provincial regulators, including the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council, the Travel Industry Council of Ontario, and the Ontario College of Trades, where he also trained both lay and professional investigators.
A passionate advocate for mental health, John is a former president of the Hong Fook Mental Health Association, the largest community-based mental health service and clinic provider in the Greater Toronto Area offering culturally competent care to newcomers in multiple languages.
In addition to his role as trial counsel, John is also a member of Ontario Ministry of Attorney General’s Intensive Serious Violent Crime Bail Team.