posted 12-19-2011 08:55 PM         

Strange...I thought there would have been some forum chatter by now on William "Billy" McAllister.

The silence is deafening.

Putting aside whether or not McAllister is guilty of the allegations, how is it that a convicted felon can obtain PCSOT creds? Is there a loopohole? Did McAllister forge the certificate? What gives?

For those unfamiliar with the story, check out the link below.

https://antipolygraph.org/cgi-bin/forums/YaBB.pl?num=1324016163

Here's an image of McAllister's PCSOT certificate:
http://www.floridapolygraphassociates.com/images/certs/Sex-Offender-Testing-Certification.jpg

Can someone explain?

posted 12-20-2011 09:32 AM            

Actually, it's good to have some discussion on this.

Mr. McCallister is not a member of the APA or Florida Associations and does not have a PCSOT certificate from the APA.

I think this is the best reponse (mantra) to offer.

r

------------------
"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here. This is the war room."
--(Stanley Kubrick/Peter Sellers - Dr. Strangelove, 1964)

posted 12-21-2011 07:40 AM         

As soon as the story broke, the APA should have posted a brief statement on its web site -- perhaps on a dedicated PR page -- citing the facts and distancing itself from McAllister.

By being mute on the issue, the APA looks downright bad.

And even though McAllister never received an APA PCSOT certificate signed by the then-president, his school PCSOT certificate strongly suggests a direct connection to APA-sanctioned training.

We all know that perception is reality.

The school should have done something similar to publicly distance itself from McAllister and to nullify his PCSOT creds. Again, being mute on the issue only suggests guilt, ostensibly validating George's positions on the anti site.

This debacle may indeed get worse. There very well may be more victims. Maybe SOs were coached or given friendly (or practice) tests. And through it all is the appearance of a legitimate APA connection.

Perhaps this can be used as a teachable moment for smart public relations and the value of after-the-fact damage control, among other things.

posted 12-21-2011 09:21 AM            

If he obtained PCSOT training from an APA accredited school but was not an APA member then his certificate can only be from the school, not the APA.

APA shouldn't play defense every time a non-member examiner does something wrong. The "PR" page would be bigger than the rest of the web site.

posted 12-21-2011 09:33 AM            

Despite our best efforts, it will be impossible to completely eliminate all problems. Teachers, preachers, cops, and others occasionally turn out to be problems. The goal (realistically) is to reduce the occurrence of problems. Of course, we will say that we hope to eliminate problems completely. But let's be real. Nothing is perfect.

As a whole, police officers in the US are very professional and non-corrupt. Same with polygraph professionals.

All professions seem to run into occasional problems no matter how hard they try.

McCallister appears to have been jettisoned by the APA in 1992 - probably following the first criminal problems.

.02

r

------------------
"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here. This is the war room."
--(Stanley Kubrick/Peter Sellers - Dr. Strangelove, 1964)

posted 12-21-2011 05:37 PM         

The school is American International Institute of Polygraph.

I'd agree with you about the APA being mute if the felon got his training via the polygraph-academy-in-a-box route, but he got it from an APA-approved school. That's key.

Again, perception is reality. American International's PSCOT certificate prominently displays the APA emblem. That alone is bound to make most casual observers and consumers think the holder is APA "certified."

In this case, I think it's a mistake for the APA to keep its head in the sand.

posted 12-21-2011 09:39 PM         

Who did your background investigation before you went to the Backster Institute?

posted 12-22-2011 06:39 AM         

For all I know it was John Grogan.

The Backster application has a field to list any arrests. I don't know to what extent that info gets checked/verified.

Do any private schools vet their candidates? Obviously a full BI would be cost prohibitive, but how much does a criminal records check cost? Someone in our circle must know.

Hey, if most private schools essentially have an open-door policy, then they're missing a big marketing opportunity. Motorcycle gangs, drug cartels, motivated LE and federal agent applicants, sex offenders... the list goes on.

If schools don't vet their candidates, then what makes them any better than the chart rollers they continually rail against?

posted 12-22-2011 03:24 PM            

1. Should the Fraternal Order of Police post a statement on its website "distancing itself" from this officer?

2. Should the Lawrence PD post a statement on its website "distancing itself" from its former employee?

3. Well, if he turned out to also be a Polygraph Examiner, why should the APA feel any responsibility to post anythnig on its website?

Just my two cents...

-------------

EagleTribune.com, North Andover, MA
January 28, 2011
Police officer guilty of rape
Gretchen Putnam
gputnam@eagletribune.com

NEWBURYPORT - Lawrence Police Officer Kevin Sledge has been found guilty of raping a drunken 23-year-old woman behind the police station two and a half years ago.

The Newburyport Superior Court jury deliberated for almost two days before finding him guilty on one count of rape and three counts of indecent assault and battery for the Sept. 26, 2008 incident. As the verdict was read this afternoon, Sledge's wife began to scream.

Sledge, 48, of Salem, N.H., has been a Lawrence police officer for 17 years. He picked up the girl, who admits to being intoxicated, while he was on duty and drove her back to the station where he left her in his car. The woman says Sledge returned to his car several times to rape and assault her.

Sledge was placed on paid leave after his September 2008 arrest and lost his pay when he was indicted several months later.

posted 12-22-2011 06:25 PM         

Are you kidding me? Your illustration is totally lame.

The errant cop was a real policeman, not an imposter. McAllister is an imposter -- he's posing as an APA-endorsed examiner.

Have you bothered to take a good look at McAllister's web site? It's almost a work of art. The term "American Polygraph Association" must appear 20 times. Plus the site is emblazoned with APA emblems via the felon's "certifications" issued by APA-accredited entities.

One more time: perception is reality. That's the reason for the distancing strategy.

All it would take is brief statement on the APA website and a short blurb issued on PR Newswire. Such statements would also provide an opportunity to make a cogent point about the value of licensing.

posted 12-22-2011 08:33 PM         

You seem to be very angry here and are looking for someone to take the hit on this. All you have posted here is pissing and moaning about this incident. What is your solution? What has your "20 + years" being a "Fortune 500" big wig taught you. Put some of those skills to use. Don't blame the rest of us for what one guy has done.

There is an old saying that if you are not a part of the solution then you are a part of the problem. Are you active in your local or national associations? If so, the ball is in your court. Your work is waiting for you.

Ted

posted 12-27-2011 11:18 AM         

Here is a quote from the California Department of Justice Web Site. The fee is cheap and I am sure other states have similar programs.

Ted

"Criminal Records - Request Your Own

Access to criminal history summary records maintained by the DOJ is restricted by law to legitimate law enforcement purposes and authorized applicant agencies. However, individuals have the right to request a copy of their own criminal history record from the Department to review for accuracy and completeness. Requests from third parties are not authorized and will not be processed.