# Polygraphs



## RedWaterMan (Dec 19, 2005)

I have tested in places all over the east coast, and I continue to do so. I just wanted to get some opinions on polygraphs from some guys that are officers and see what the general consensus is. My general opinion is that I am against them, I have failed one and had trouble with others and I am not lying nor do I have anything to hide. I know I can do this job and I know that there is nothing in my past that should prevent me from getting on a department.:

All the test is is something to become frustrated over, nervous, or downright stressed. I am not a communist and I don't have a checkered sexual history, no need to hook me up to a machine and grill me about it. Of course some random person asking me about that stuff is going to make me uncomfortable, I don't want to talk about wierd stuff like that with my friends.


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## Officer Dunngeon (Aug 16, 2002)

RedWaterMan said:


> I have tested in places all over the east coast, and I continue to do so. I just wanted to get some opinions on polygraphs from some guys that are officers and see what the general consensus is.


Why do you only want to talk to guys about it?

We don't have the polygraph in MA. I have never taken a polygraph and most officers on this board probably haven't either. Dunno what to tell ya.


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## RedWaterMan (Dec 19, 2005)

I was only using a generic term. And polygraphs are prevalent in many areas surrounding Massachusetts (CT, NH) and they are required in the majority of federal law enforcement careers, figured there were some people around who might have worked in one of these other areas.


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## Officer Dunngeon (Aug 16, 2002)

Well, if you said, "I just wanted to get some opinions on polygraphs from some officers..." then that would have been "generic." But you said "guys that are officers." I didn't know if it was because you felt uncomfortable discussing polygraphs with women like you're uncomfortable talking about it with your friends.

If you would like to possibly reach out to more officers in the New England area, guys or girls, try this link. http://www.nepn.net/ :mrgreen:


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## OciferpeteHPD3500 (May 27, 2005)

I took my polygraph back in 2000 to get on in NH. They ask you 100 questions before then they hook you up on the machine and only ask 20 randomly selected out of the 100. What questions can you expect. 

1 Have you had sex with an animal, Have you raped any one and never been caught, same for killing or thefts. They ask you about info you gave them about yourself etc etc 

When I was getting on they called 21 to take the poly. I know this because they were doing it for 3 days and scheduling 7 a day. At the psych test only 11 of the 21 passed the poly and we were all hired.


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## PearlOnyx (Jun 28, 2002)

Red,

Personally I have taken the polygraph twice, told the truth twice, and passed twice. From an examiner I have talked to, there is a 7% rate of error when polygraphs are used for employment. That 7% includes both people who are either wrongly failed or wrongly passed (Bad English I know). I Personally don't have much of a problem with the polygraph, although I can see where it fails. If you're interested, there is a website which talks all about the failings of the polygraph: www.antipolygraph.org . Although if you plan on taking one in the future, I don't suggest reading it as many employers look very poorly upon even reading this document from what I understand. After talking to people on both sides of the fence, I've been told that most of the material out there on the internet is pretty slanted, including the document I mentioned above. Good luck to you though.


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## Zuke (May 8, 2004)

I have taken 4 and passed them all. The best thing to do is talk to the polygrapher and BI about any concerns BEFORE being strapped into the test. We all have hidden things in our closets, be honest and tell them everything. Also if you can't handle the stress of being asked questions about yourself in a private room how can you handle the stress of cross examination in a court room....
I thought I had done a lot of "bad" things in my life but when I wrote them all down the Polygrapher and BI investigator didn't really care about any of them.
There are ways to "beat" the machine, but if you get caught, you will be red flagged and never get a LE job anywhere. Also I don't know if I can trust my life to someone who can't be honest and forthright about themselves.


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## SOT (Jul 30, 2004)

I've taken an FBI poly 22 times...failed 8 (who knows why) and passed the rest. Never lied on any of them...but failed 8 anyway.


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