Polygraph Test for Senior Police Officers before Promotion

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), in Charge of Operations, Glenmore Hinds, says to ensure that the integrity of senior officers is of the highest standard, they are requested to undergo polygraph examinations, commonly known as lie detector tests, prior to promotion.

“Not many employers can say that their employees are in fact fit for the job through the process of integrity screening. The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is the only organisation in this country that can say that all its senior managers have gone through this process and have successfully completed it,” he said.

Speaking at the Polygraph Unit at the Police Academy, in Twickenham Park, St. Catherine, following an official tour, on May 24, the ACP said that the JCF would not “impose on (the Jamaican society), any officer that we have doubts about their integrity."

He noted that the device is also used to vet persons in sensitive police areas. “We also use it for the re-enlistment process. It is also used in some investigations…and our Caribbean neighbours have also been calling on us,” he added.

Mr. Hinds said the Unit has been kept “exceedingly busy” since its establishment in 2007, as the polygraph process is integral in determining and maintaining integrity within the force.

A polygraph is a machine that collects and records physiological data, such as blood pressure, pulse, respiratory, sweat gland and cardiovascular activities, while the subject responds to a series of questions, to determine the truthfulness of the answers given.

The Polygraph Unit is manned by three members of the security force, who have received international polygraph certification, courtesy of the Canadian government.

Construction of the unit was funded in part by the European Union, the Canadian High Commission and the British High Commission.

Also on the tour were Minister of National Security, Hon. Peter Bunting; Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Canada, Diane Ablonczy; and Canadian High Commissioner to Jamaica, Stephen Hallihan. 

By CHRIS PATTERSON, JIS Reporter