I have alway's been curious how potential police candidates don't pass the polygraph or do pass the polygraph, i know they ask some pretty gruelling question's going right into your personal life, i spoke to a Halifax Regional Police Constable awhile back and asked him what it was all about, he wouldn't tell me much only that he has had to take the polygraph quite a few times, how does a potential officer fail the Pre Employment Polygraph? how does a senior police officer, fail the polygraph and lose his job? for some reason the page is now in code, so i can't give you the link to the polygraph page, i think it's pretty much the same as the RCMP: http://www.rcmp-grc....ec/poly-eng.htm

Edited May 18, 201213 yr by Slimory

"No pass or fail;"

"The polygraph examiner makes no decisions regarding your overall suitability and reliability to become a police officer. "

" PEP is just one of many tools used to help the RCMP verify that an applicant is the person they have claimed to be in their employment application forms, questionnaires, and prior interviews with recruiting personnel."

Just assessing a person's integrity, as (un)reliable as they may be.

Just took one the other day.... I think its questionable whether they really do any good.

Edited May 18, 201213 yr by VB3179

Polygraphs are touchy machines....One of my Forensics profs in college, who is currently a commander in a police Dept near by failed 1/2 the poly's he took for depts

I should have refraised, i meant what question's would make you "less suitable" to be a police officer? i know some provinces here in Canada don't believe in the use of polygraph's, such as any or all New Brunswick police department's, O.P.P, Toronto Police & Winnipeg Police Service, any province passed Manitoba uses them, too be honest, polygraph's creep me out

Edited May 18, 201213 yr by Slimory

I can't speak for all law enforcement departments, however in the mid 90s ATL PD background recruitment department denied many candidates solely off their PGTs and psychological evaluations. Some of the PGTs questions can be off-the-wall, and laughable. The key is to be truthful and forthcoming. If you done drugs, then admit it. If you gambled, then admit it. If you have used racial slurs, then admit it. The examiner will give you an opportunity on clearing up the discrepancy. Anyhow, today's  PGTs from DPD standpoint are weighed, but it's your credit history, psychological evaluation and MCOLES that are weighed the heaviest here and pretty much all of Michigan's PDs. 

But even some of the more "nerve racking" question's, can be passed over to police for investigation (which i don't think is right at all), i think someone of the question's they ask are pointless, yes it could tell you how a cop is going to handle a career as a police officer, but it's not going to tell you in the future why he beat the shit out of someone for no reason, or why that cop is being investigated for having child pornography on his/her computer.. it really makes no sense..

Edited May 18, 201213 yr by Slimory

Slimory, I don't know what to tell you, other than be truthful, put your faith in GOD (if you do believe), because he can clear paths and open doors that others try to block and keep close. 

i'll remember that post, but if a police department has a division specifically for investigating police officer's, polygraph's are not doing there job.

I think the poly graph is looking for your honesty integrity

+1 Asuna, i guess that would make more sense then what i've come up with lol

Slimory: No matter what, you need an internal investigation agency. It has nothing to do with how the polygraphs are, and everything to do with the fact that people change over time. The polygraph tests you at the beginning, but no one claims it will weed out everyone who will later do something bad.

Just be honest dude....remain calm, the polygraph reacts to your breathing, movements, and perspiration

I took multiple polygraphs in order to get hired on with my sheriff's office where I currently work. The process was pretty simple, I would sit down with the examiner and she and I would essentially carry on an interview regarding my application, my past history, affiliations, etc... These would be the exact questions that I would be asked during the actual polygraph, so there were no surprises and I knew what was coming. The whole idea was for me to be forthcoming and honest with all of my responses, then the polygraph would simply verify my integrity. During the interview portion before being hooked up to the machine, I could ask questions and clarify what the examiner meant with her questioning so that I knew exactly what I was answering to. I also found that she would ask the same questions multiple ways or by changing some key aspect of the question in order to insure I was answering consistently to the same premise.

Although it can be quite intimidating and it certainly raises my anxiety, the examiners are trained for this and the machine is only going to recognize legitimate deception and not just nervousness. I did have to sign a waiver that anything I say during the polygraph examination could be grounds for prosecution, but if there is nothing to hide then you have nothing to worry about. They aren't going to go after you for the pack of gum you stole as a kid (statute of limitations would apply anyway), but obviously if you admit to a felony I'm sure they wouldn't be happy about it, but why would you be applying for this line of work with questionable integrity to begin with?

At my sheriff's office, to my knowledge the people who fail the polygraph typically do so because they lie about aspects of their application: prior drug use, prior employment, criminal history, etc...

So, in other word's, if i were to take a polygraph for employment, and did thing's in my past that i may or may not be proud of ( i have never been arrested ) and they were never brought to light, basically, just admit my wrong's? and they are there to see if you really did do something you think is worth hiding, and clear it up by admitting to it? (no, i'm not a criminal)

I think that's basically the point. Just to make sure you're telling them everything, not just what you want them to hear.

Hmm they really make it difficult, you can answer truthfully, but with a chance of being sent to prison lol

Polygraphs (atleast in the US) cannot be used as evidence against you in a court of law, as they are too....controversial

Really? the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) and HRP (Halifax Regional Police) from what i read correctly, they can "pass any criminal result's, over to the police for investigation"

Information from the polygraph can be used to initiate an investigation, but the specific results of the polygraph will not be used as evidence in court in the US. Minor things aren't going to be an issue, we've all made mistakes. Based on what I've seen with my agency, they would only go after you for major violations (mostly felonies).