S.F. Weekly Rips San Francisco Police Department’s Reliance on Polygraphy

In a well-researched article, S.F. Weekly reporter Matt Smith critically examines the SFPD’s reliance on polygraphy for applicant screening, despite it being completely discredited among scientists. Those interviewed include retired FBI scientist Dr. Drew Richardson, Professor Stephen Fienberg, who headed a National Academy of Sciences panel that  reviewed the scientific evidence on polygraphy, and polygraph operator Patrick Coffey, who’s company conducts polygraph examinations for the SFPD (and who in the past has trolled AntiPolygraph.org’s forums under the moniker, TheNoLieGuy4U).

Comments 5

  • San Francisco is where all the BS began… It’s disturbing to realize that the polygraph was the “sane” alternative to torture when it was first introduced.

  • I am still convinced the main use of the “polygraph” is to detect the presence of, or insist on the adherence to, a worldview of childlike black and white ethics or morality. The purpose of the test is to FORCE all subtlety out of the world and FORCE the victim to adhere to a Yes/No worldview. There IS NO TRUTH to “detect”. It simply does not exist in any part of anyone’s brain/soul/eyes/blood/breath or anywhere. That is why it remains in use in cadet screening. They want to screen out all subtlety and frankly… intelligence. Or at least a certain kind of intelligence. The kind that sees a subtle gradation in… anything.

  • And if this is science why no progress? Why do we not have “ennui detectors” and “grief detectors” and “sad about Arrested Development being cancelled detectors” and “Thinking about sex detectors”. Other forms of instruments that operate in reality progress, become more accurate and branch out. Telescopes turn into radio telescopes, for example. Yet this idiotic fascist mental torture technique remains locked in its infantile form. And in a strange way it MUST remain unimproved, because to improve it would be to admit that it is pure BS.

  • Patrick thinks he is smarter than everybody. HA!

  • He uses bogus email addresses to send messages to people…thinking he is soooo slick. NOT! Same thing he does on this site.

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