AntiPolygraph.org has received information that the relevant questions asked on the Los Angeles Police Department's pre-employment polygraph examination are very similar to these:

1) Have you stolen more than four hundred dollars in cash or property from an employer?

2) Are you withholding information regarding your illegal drug history?

3) Have you committed an undisclosed serious crime?

4) Based on your personal bias, have you ever committed a negative act against anyone?

5) During a domestic dispute, have you physically harmed a significant other?

For the most part, these are very obvious relevant questions. But note that #4 is vague enough that it might easily be confused for a probable-lie "control" question.

Commonly used "control" questions include:

1) Prior to your application, did you ever lie to someone in a position of authority?

2) Before this year, did you ever put false information on an official document?

3) Prior to this year, did you ever betray someone who trusted your word?

4) Before your LAPD application, did you ever do anything that would place your integrity into question?

5) Before this year, did you ever take credit for something you didn't do?

6) Prior to this year, did you ever deceive a family member?

Note that all of these "control" questions include a "time bar" placing the scope of the question before the current year or before the applicant's application for LAPD employment. This practice might be changed after this information is posted.

The procedure also includes announcements of the beginning and end of the "test," an irrelevant question such as, "Is your name ______?" and a sacrifice relevant question along the lines of, "Regarding your background package, do you intend to answer each of my questions truthfully?"

For related reading, see the LAPD's Pre-Employment Polygraph Guidelines:

http://antipolygraph.org/documents/lapd-polygraph-guidelines.pdf

AntiPolygraph.org has received information that the following relevant question has been or will be removed from the Los Angeles Police Department's pre-employment polygraph examination (the question was included in a recent applicant's polygraph examination):


Quote:

4) Based on your personal bias, have you ever committed a negative act against anyone?

Assuming this information is correct, perhaps someone at LAPD agreed with me that it was a very poor relevant question because of its vagueness (not that polygraphy has any validity to begin with). But now what about all the applicants who have been wrongly disqualified because of reactions to this ambiguous relevant question? What corrective action would the LAPD take?

If past experience is any guide, the LAPD will do nothing to correct the situation. In 2003, LAPD polygraph supervisor Roy Ortiz was allegedly accused of falsifying polygraph reports, but the LAPD reportedly swept the matter under the rug and retaliated against the employee who reported the misconduct.

In addition, a recent LAPD applicant relates the following about the questions (s)he was asked during the polygraph:


Quote:

I'd like to confirm your post privately regarding LAPD control/relevant questions. The only difference I noticed were the way they asked the control questions. For instance, 'have you ever lied to someone in authority' was phrased 'would you ever lie to someone in a position of authority'. All of the control questions were put that way: 'would you ever.....' Further, the entire test went exactly according to the book (TLBTLD). The book was like reading a play before I went to act in it. Please feel free to post these comments but I'd ask that my name not be mentioned.

Hi,

Does LAPD share their polygraph records with other departments?

Thanks

Here's an update regarding the questions on the LAPD's pre-employment polygraph examination. A recent applicant was asked the following questions (categorized here by type):

Relevant Questions:

Have you stolen more than $400 in cash or property from an employer?

Are you withholding information regarding your illegal drug history?

Are you withholding information regarding a serious undisclosed crime?

Have you physically harmed a significant other during a domestic dispute?

Sacrifice Relevant Question:

Regarding your background package, do you intend to answer each question truthfully?

"Control" Questions:

Before applying with LAPD, did you ever cheat on a test?

Prior to applying with LAPD, did you ever tell a lie to someone who trusted you?

Prior to applying for this position, did you ever do anything that would cause anyone to question your integrity?

Before applying for this position, did you ever violate any official rules or regulations?

Prior to applying with LAPD, did you ever do anything bad in your life?

Irrelevant Questions:

Are you now sitting down?

Are you now in the State of California?

Before applying with LAPD, did you attend High School?

Is this the month of April?

Is this the year of 2009?

Mike,  thanks for the info.  A friend is getting ready to take the LAPD exam and this info will help.

I had a question about 2 of the questions that will most likely be on the LAPD poly. I have never hit my significant other, but have had to restrain her or push her away a few times when she was under the influence and hitting me. I don't know what to answer to that question. I want to answer no, but I don't want it to come up with me lying. Or should I answer yes and then hope I can explain myself?

hi if you answer no you will probably fail the question.. however the question should be discussed with you fully during the interview

:-XI took the polygraph examination. The examiner was very professional, she informed me on the questions and she was very descriptive about the whole procedure. But any whom I took the test and felt like I was doing okay, until the their chart. She told me she was going to step out to check out the data to see if I needed a fourth chart. So after 5 minutes she came back and told me that she would be conducting a fourth chart. After she was finished, she stepped out again and came back after 5 minutes and asked me how i thought she had treated me, I just said "ver nice" it was a strange question, she then told me that I peaked in one question, specifically the drug use one. She then asked me to be honest and to just tell her what I had done, which I responded to " I have been" I've only tried marijuana once which I disclosed in both personal history forms that are required by the LAPD. I then told her that there was doubt within myself when I did try marijuana that one time, I told her that the effect was profound not that of marijuana but that of something stronger, but am not sure because i only tried marijuana once and do not know the effects but i have that doubt within myself, as far as having my numbers wrong i don't because i know that i have only done marijuna once. he told me just to write that down in a police addendum which i did and specified why i was doubtful not deceitful. I reassured her that, this could be the only explanation for the peak in my polygraph. So my question is did i pass or fail? she told me that it's not one of those tests that you pass or fail, but the the city personnel department would evaluate the graph and come to a decision within 30 days, or sooner. I'm really nervous and anxious, what do you think the outcome might be? :-X

This post has been edited to remove potentially identifying information. --AntiPolygraph.org Administrator

wrote on Aug 4^th, 2011 at 1:38am:

she told me that it's not one of those tests that you pass or fail

She is being honest in that it was not a "test" at all, but rather an interrogation.

But should I worry? or be concerned? She told me that I spiked in that question itself and in another few but that is to be expected.

wrote on Aug 4^th, 2011 at 4:51am:

But should I worry? or be concerned? She told me that I spiked in that question itself and in another few but that is to be expected.

If you study the polygraph technique, there is no such thing as looking for spiking on individual questions. They will tell you it's "screening", but it's a bunch of B.S. You were not subjected to a PDD exam; you were manipulated and interrogated. It is totally up to their whim what they will do.

The LAPD polygraph unit has embraced the federally-coordinated Polygraph Law Enforcement Accreditation (PLEA) program and now uses the federal Law Enforcement Pre-Employment Test (LEPET) for applicant screening. The LEPET administrator's guide may be downloaded here:

https://antipolygraph.org/documents/ncca-lepet.pdf

The PLEA Polygraph Guide for Standards and Practices may be downloaded here:

https://antipolygraph.org/documents/plea-guide-2018-10-25.pdf

In addition, the LAPD Polygraph Unit Examiner Reference Guide may be downloaded here:

https://antipolygraph.org/documents/LAPD%20Polygraph%20Unit%20Examiner%20Reference%20Guide%202018-11.pdf

and the LAPD Technical Investigation Unit Polygraph Unit Guidelines may be downloaded here:

https://antipolygraph.org/documents/LAPD%20Polygraph%20Unit%20Guidelines%202019-05.pdf

Last year the LAPD produced a public relations Q & A video about polygraph screening featuring polygraph operator Michael Ward. A commentary, along with the video itself, is available on the blog here:

https://antipolygraph.org/blog/2021/04/18/lapd-polygraph-operator-michael-ward-spins-the-truth-about-polygraphy/