AntiPolygraph.org has received the following anonymous report, which has not been independently corroborated, regarding LAPD polygraph unit chief and American Polygraph Association Board of Directors member Roy Ortiz:




After years of complaints both from potential police officers who were wrongly failed and from Ortiz's own employees, he was demoted earlier this month. His following actions then caused him to be escorted out of the police department building.

He is appealing his demotion to the civil service commission. He has been administratively reassigned to another City of L.A. facility, doing paperwork. He is not doing any polygraph work for LAPD in the meantime, but he has a good private polygraph business on the side (how long does it take his employees in that unit to get 'work permits' to compete with him by doing polygraph exams off-duty?!).

This was not likely something that Ortiz, the long-time civilian supervisor of LAPD's polygraph unit, wanted known by APA, CAPE, and especially by AntiPolygraph (who has reported of some past misdeeds by Ortiz). The demotion has been kept hushed-up for more than a week, until NOW.

On Tuesday, 19 June 2007, I called the LAPD's Media Relations Section seeking comment regarding the alleged demotion of Roy Ortiz. Officer Karen Smith, who took my call, said she had not heard anything about this and was not certain whether her office would be able to comment on a personnel matter. But she kindly offered to look into the matter and get back to me by e-mail. Later in the day, she wrote to me this brief reply, "FYI, Roy Ortiz is still an employee and is still assigned to SID (Scientific Investigation Division)." The Polygraph Unit is part of the SID. Officer Smith did not immediately respond to a follow-up e-mail asking who the present supervisor or acting supervisor of the Polygraph Unit is. In any event, it seems that the LAPD is not denying the report regarding Mr. Ortiz's demotion.