Commissioner tells truth about polygraph tests

The truth has come out, in what Police Commissioner Keith Miller has described as lies about whether a polygraph or lie detector machine was in this country.{{more}}

In an exclusive interview with Searchlight, Miller revealed that some members of the police department had been tested by polygraph machines, but, however, admitted that the police department “did not and does not own one”.

The chief cop explained that in the past, experts with their polygraph machines were brought into the country to carry out the tests, and whenever warranted, officers were sent overseas to be tested by polygraph specialists.

Commissioner Miller said that the last time polygraph tests were carried out on members of his force was in the month of March this year, to ensure that officers who were being transferred to take up certain highly sensitive roles could be trusted on matters of confidentiality and were of the “highest loyalty”.

He expounded: “It happens everywhere. If you are a cashier at an outlet store and you are suspected for stealing, they would not want you at the cash machine. They might transfer you to somewhere, where there is nothing to do with money.”

Miller, who was appointed Commissioner in 2005, insisted that the polygraph testing in this country was “no secret” and was “nothing new” to the police force, since he himself was given a polygraph test as far back as 1999.

The Police Commissioner revealed that some of the officers who took the test had failed and they were transferred to other departments where they could serve better. Miller said, in March, only one officer refused to take the test. That officer was transferred.

He reiterated that the polygraph tests were essential to having a credible security force, and that it was not easy to “beat” the lie detector, since the specialists could read certain elements of deception on their results.

Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves mentioned in Parliament earlier this year that this government had “instituted a system of polygraph tests” for members of the security forces.

The Commissioner, however, pointed that the Prime Minister was correct because he did say that a system was instituted, and not that the police had an actual machine.

Dr Gonsalves also said in Parliament that some members of the security forces had failed the polygraph tests “by far.”