2/3 Border Patrol job applicants fail polygraph test, making hiring difficult

[HCountyGuy]

Through all the research I've done after failing my first poly, I've come to the conclusion they're voodoo nonsense. I've passed CVSA and polys since my dreaded first one, and gave the same answers.

After finding out everyone in my applicant group at that department failed, I've become suspicious that those involved in the poly phase for that department have no business administering them. At least one applicant I figured would be a shoe-in due to already being in that particular field and seemed respectable enough.

I understand under certain conditions they're a useful tool, mostly to convince those uneducated on how they really work into fessing up. But they generally seem to screw honest people over.

[HCM]

Polygraphs are not admissible in court for a reason. What ever valusebthe do have is entirely dependent on the skill, knowledge and abilities of polygrapher.

[blues]

I remember that episode, HCM. Love it. And so f'n true.

[BehindBlueI's]

Polys are complete and utter bullshit.

This. Particularly for background random "did you ever" testing. The DoE did a pretty extensive study maybe 20 years ago after they screwed the pooch real bad accusing a scientist of stealing classified materials. They realized perhaps they'd put too much faith in the poly and wanted to really look at the science behind it. What they determined is that random crime detection was as good as a coin flip. Specific incident detection was about 75%. Easy to use countermeasures worked.

They are junk and would work just as well as the operator hooking you up to a copy machine. People confess to things they ordinarily wouldn't because they THINK the machine will detect them, and that's the only real purpose they have.

[Dr. No]

This. Particularly for background random "did you ever" testing. The DoE did a pretty extensive study maybe 20 years ago after they screwed the pooch real bad accusing a scientist of stealing classified materials. They realized perhaps they'd put too much faith in the poly and wanted to really look at the science behind it. What they determined is that random crime detection was as good as a coin flip. Specific incident detection was about 75%. Easy to use countermeasures worked.

They are junk and would work just as well as the operator hooking you up to a copy machine. People confess to things they ordinarily wouldn't because they THINK the machine will detect them, and that's the only real purpose they have.

They are excellent as a bluff during an interrogation, mostly because people who feel guilty and believe in the machine's infallibility will crack under pressure and confess. You are exactly right, for an exploratory "did you do bad stuff" mission, they are garbage.

[Kanati]

God, I don't miss poly's.

[psalms144.1]

Poly's are only as good as the person administering them. I've gone through at least a half dozen. First was administered by NSA, I was scared to death. Examiner talked me through the process, including the operand questions, before hooking me up. Less than an hour later, I was whistling down the hall having easily passed the exam. My last was administered by a new examiner in my own agency, started at 1100, went until 1700 (without a break) at which point I terminated the process. He told me my answers were truthful, but I had "artifacts" in my test. Not surprising, without food or water I'd been sitting in a t-shirt directly under an air conditioning vent for six hours. When the youngster started Reid technique-ing me, I told him to f off and left the room.

The next morning, his trainer agent asked me to redo the test, with the senior examiner. In and out in 90 minutes, clear as a bell, including a bunch of BSing about youngsters who shouldn't be running polygraphs...

That was a while ago, and I swore I'd never accept another position in my agency that requires a polygraph - life is simply too short...

[SkiDevil]

From the Queen of Liars.

http://www.factcheck.org/2016/06/cli...975-rape-case/

In 2014, the Washington Free Beacon published the audio of an interview that Arkansas reporter Roy Reed conducted with Clinton in the 1980s. In the interview, Clinton recalls some unusual details of the rape case, and she can be heard laughing in three instances, beginning with a joke she makes about the accuracy of polygraphs.
Clinton: Of course he claimed he didn’t. All this stuff. He took a lie detector test. I had him take a polygraph, which he passed, which forever destroyed my faith in polygraphs. [laughs]

I worked for a Private Investigator and Polygrapher, retired LE (Homicide Investigator), former military with extensive investigative and interviewing experience. Two things that I learned from him about polygraph testing: the greatest variable is the Examiner, polygraph detectors Do Not work on everyone.

A good polygraph examiner is produced through years of experience. A habitual liar can by pass the equipment more often than not.
I know of at least two individuals who lied their asses of in a polygraph examination and passed. Both were for employment related circumstances, one was for an LE position.

I do not have a great deal of faith in these devices and believe that an experienced investigator/ interragator is more effective in discerning the truthfulness of an individual.

[John Hearne]

A good polygraph examiner is produced through years of experience. A habitual liar can by pass the equipment more often than not.
I know of at least two individuals who lied their asses of in a polygraph examination and passed. Both were for employment related circumstances, one was for an LE position.

I do not have a great deal of faith in these devices and believe that an experienced investigator/ interragator is more effective in discerning the truthfulness of an individual.

As I understand it, sociopaths and especially psychopaths, aren't bothered by lying. n fact, it's how they've manipulated the world since they were young. If you not bothered, you don't get the arousal that the detector is looking for.

[TAZ]

So this is an interesting thread given the other one where we have claims that BP is being infiltrated by gangs and cartel types. So are the 2/3 being told no due to ploygraph results when in fact they may not be the correct demographic???