|
Polygraph Unit
|
|
 |
The mission of the polygraph unit is to conduct polygraph examinations in support of the Criminal
Investigations Division and the command staff, by aiding in the resolution of criminal cases and identifying
applicants unfit for employment by the Police Department.
 | | Polygraph Equipment |
|
A 2007 graduate of Troy University’s Polygraph School in Atlanta, GA, Detective Elizabeth Post is the
Lynnwood Police Department’s sole examiner. In addition to performing polygraphs as a primary duty, the
polygraph examiner provides investigative support to the Criminal Investigations Division, provides preemployment
and criminal polygraph services to other jurisdictions, and assists the Administrative Unit with
hiring coordination, recruiting, and policy analysis. The departmental polygraph examiner must be a graduate
of a polygraph school accredited by the American Polygraph Association (APA). The examiner must be a
member of the American Polygraph Association and/or the American Association of Police Polygraphists and
must attend training annually in order to acquire and maintain APA and/or AAPP membership.
In 2009, Detective Post performed a total of twenty-five polygraphs for the Police Department. Eleven were
pre-employment screening tests, and fourteen were specific-issue, or criminal case, tests. Fewer pre-employment
tests were performed in 2009 due to few increases in staffing levels and freezing of positions due
to budget deficits.
Detective Post is a member of the Northwest Polygraph Examiner’s Association, the American Polygraph
Association, and the American Association of Police Polygraphists. Detective Post completed her Master of
Arts Degree in Psychology in 2009. Detective Post was an integral participant in the Lynnwood Police
Department’s 2009 WASPC accreditation process. She is actively involved in presenting on various topics to
local high school students and at the Lynnwood Police Department Citizen’s Academy.
|
