I have learned through practial experience and investigative methods, that there are few ethical examiners in Arizona. The bulk of the practicing examiners spend most of their time protecting their associates from individuals who attempt to clear their name after being on the receiving end of a bogus exam. By the way, the Az Dept. of Corrections does poly for LE and investigations, however that agency if full of corrupt examiners. The individual named above as "Fritz" is Fritz Tuffly, and he did indeed prove that he was victimized by a bogus polygraph. It seems that Arizona draws the unethical examiners by the droves, and as of this date, I have personally only met one ethical examiner in this state, and he has been blackballed for speaking out against others who manipulate exams here. Beware of Az...

I want to thank you for your honesty. If you want interesting reading, go to the AZPOST (Arizona Police Officer Standards Training) website (run a query on Yahoo). They have extensive copies of all their latest disciplinary meeting. It seems like anytime you are suspected of doing anything improper, the first thing they do is hook you up to a polygraph machine. Inevitably, people spill their guts and get fired.

If I do decide the LE option in Phoenix, I will go into it with countermeasures and keep using them. Ironically, I can't find any instance where officers were fired for failing a polygraph -- only after they failed the poly and then confessed on their own doing. Sticking to your story can take you a long, long way.

The whole sittuation really burns me up -- especially since Phoenix and its surrounding environs is suffering a shortage of LEO(s). How can they be so blatantly stupid to put so much validity on a machine that doesn't work? And these are the people I pay taxes to support?

Stopnik is right, ALL LE police agencies polygraph in AZ.  I suggest you look for employment in another state.  I have heard all kinds of horror stories concerning agencies in the phoenix metro area.  You are also subject to a polygraph test at the will of the agency at any given time and about anything in your life for the remainder of your employment with the agency.  There is a form that they make you sign releasing them of any liability, so you can't sue them for anything concerning the polygraph or its results.   My best advice is don't do it.   
Either way I wish you luck.

To become a police officer in AZ, you need AZ Post certification --  which mandates a polygraph exam. I kid you not -- the only agency which doesn't poly is the AZ Dept of Corrections. With a top salary of 31,000 after 8 years, no wonder they can't polygraph! AZ POST stipulates some fairly ridiculous standards -- such as not smoking pot more than 5 times after age 21 (who the hell counts?), so countermeasures seem like the only viable solution because whether you smoked pot 4 times or 6 times you are screwed!

Are you sure Arizona LE agencies give employment polygraphs? Two or three years ago there was a poster on noploygraph.com by the name of Fritz (can't think of his last name). I am sure I am not totally correct but, as I remember he was in LE and lost his job because of the polygraph. He brought a lawsuit against the agency and not only cleared his name but won a large amount of money. It, also, seems to me that he was successful in dismantling the whole polygraph process in that state. Maybe George can expound on this information. You know the saying "when you reach old age the mind is the second thing to go". Anyway this is the way that I remember.

Good luck.

P.S. Fritz, if you monitor this site let me hear from you. My email is listed. I enjoyed your posts.

Anybody ever do a poly for AZ law enforcement agencies? Any advice?