Original reporting and commentary about polygraphs, voice stress analyzers, and other purported "lie detectors."
Los Angeles Times staff writers Jill Leovy and Matea Gold, in an article titled “Parks Defends Record on Crime, Consent Decree,” mention that Police Chief Bernard C. Parks acknowledged a 50% pre-employment polygraph failure rate in a meeting with reporters on Friday, 8 Feb. Excerpt (emphasis added): On recruiting, Parks argued that factors outside his …
Palm Beach Post staff writer Bill Douthat reports on alleged impropriety in the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. The allegations involve polygrapher Harold Thomas Sorensen, a member of the Florida Polygraph Association. Excerpt: A sheriff’s polygrapher who gave a lie detector test to the daughter of his boss failed to properly report her deceptive answers …
In an article titled, “FBI Flooded With Applicants,” Los Angeles Times staff writer William Overend reports that about 20% of special agent applicants who make it as far as the polygraph fail it. Excerpt: Mike Hilliard, who retired three years ago after 21 years as the chief recruiting agent in Los Angeles, estimated that about …
The St. Petersburg Times calls for dumping the polygraph in this editorial. Excerpt: In a stark overreaction to the spying allegations against Wen Ho Lee, a scientist at the Los Alamos weapons lab in New Mexico, Congress ordered the Energy Department to begin a massive polygraph screening program for employees at the nation’s nuclear weapons …
Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists’ Secrecy in Government Project reports in today’s Secrecy News electronic newsletter: DOE POLYGRAPH POLICY TO BE REPEALED The controversial Department of Energy counterintelligence polygraph program that was enacted by Congress three years ago will be repealed and replaced by a new program, according to the Defense Authorization …
AntiPolygraph.org’s George Maschke comments in this Los Angeles Daily News op-ed piece. Excerpt: LOS Angeles has awarded a $615,000 noncompetitive contract to a company to give polygraph tests to Los Angeles Police Department recruits, paying double the going rate for lie-detector experts. Phyllis Lynes, assistant general manager for the Personnel Department’s Public Safety Bureau, has …
The Los Angeles Daily News discusses the city’s recent polygraph contract in this editorial. Excerpt: City Hall’s budget woes get worse every day. This year’s projected deficit has nearly doubled in just a week. Maybe that’s because City Hall pays twice the going rate for its services and contracts. Take lie-detectors — and frankly it …
Beth Barrett of the Los Angeles Daily News reports on the non-competitive contract recently awarded to US Investigation Services to provide polygraph support for the Los Angeles Police Department. Excerpt: Without seeking bids, Los Angeles hired an East Coast security firm — at double the going rate — to perform lie detector tests on LAPD …
Los Angeles Daily News staff writer Harrison Sheppard reports on the Los Angeles City Council’s decision to award a $615,000 contract for polygraph services. This short article is cited in full here: In an effort to speed up the police recruiting process, the City Council on Tuesday approved a $615,000 contract with a company to …
In a letter to the Los Alamos National Laboratory’s “Readers Forum,” R. Roberts Stevens points out congressional hypocrisy with regard to polygraph “testing.” Stevens’ short letter is cited in full here: Leaking classified information and polygraphs I read a news report on CNN describing President Bush’s anger over recent leaks of classified information. The report …