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t, -M Halton Regional Police polygraph unit The truth about lie detector tests- they're tough to beat so you'might as well 'fess up By KAREN SMITH The Champion They may not be admissible in court, but the resuits of lie detector tests can be a valuable investigative tool, says a Halton Regional Police sergeant. Now computerized, it's a device that some skeptics deemn unreliable, but one that police forces across the country look to confidently, said Sgt. Scott McLaughlin of the force's polygraph unit. "When inm done I'm 100 per cent sure the answer is correct," he e4NVh j said. Conducted properly, I'i 100 polygraph tests are actu- sue& ally about 96 per cent accurate, according to CMI reports, but the informa- ........ tion obtained from them MIL $OTT can't be used as evidence in a prosecution. The results, however, can point investi- gators in the right direction as a st resort - when ail other investigative means have been exhausted, Sgt. McLaughlin said. In fact, the sergeant is called upon three to four times a week to conduct polygrapb tests for Halton and Hamnilton-Wentworth investigators. He questions suspects for ail types of crimes including theft, child abuse and murder. His skills are shared by both forces as a cost-saving measure. Having a competent examiner at the helro is the first step in accurately distin- guishing truthful people froro liars, the sergeant said. A former Milton fraud investigator who left the force's north Halton criminal investigation bureau to become a poîy- graphist, Sgt. McLaughlin underwent a year's training that included three months at the Canadian Police College in Ottawa. The examiner's job is technical and tedious. "There isn't a police polygraphist in Canada abat isn't well trained," he said, noting the demanding workload students must endure. Polygraph subjects, who in Ontario can only be tested if they agree, ait in a long- anned 'la"k piece of furniture that Sgt. MLuhlin said reminds most people of an electric chair. Devices that monitor sweat glands, heart rate and breathing are.attached to the sut> ject's fingers, arm, chest and abdomen. The chair is equipped with a motion detector to pick up any movement by the subject. Movement can thmow off the read- ings. A person tibbing to police expeniences a similar reaction to the adrenaline rush that 'pm dom occurs when danger is per cent said. sosweris "Wben a person tells a mnswer lie, the same thing hap- oct." pens," be said. ............. The changes in the .»I.IJM body are recorded on the computer - like lines on a heart monitor - and the examiner scrutinizes the results carefully. Wbile a seasoned liar can look you straight in the face and be deceptive, the body can't be untrutbful, he said. Less than tive per cent of tests are incon- clusive. The test itself takes about 20 minutes, but the entire process can last as long as tbree hours. The examiner and subject go over how the test works and together determine how questions will be worded to prevent any misinterpretation in their meaning that could result in inaccurate results. Ail in ail, about 70 per cent of subjects arc trutbful, Sgt. McLaughlin said. The other 30 per cent generally think they can beat the test. Many suspects have refused to take polygraph tests, but not neccessarily because they're guilty. Sgt. McLaughlin said contrary to bis opinion, some people simply don't believe in them. "If I didn't believe it works, I wouldn't be doing it," he said. Acton 12 Maini Street North, Aetai,0ON L7J iV9 519-853-1270. or 853-4700 Cableworks 14 Programmlng Schedule - June 29th - JuIy 5th, 1999 5:3,6-3,730pm PkMdIN 530,6530,7:30pa PktIhehl CMADAA 5:30,6:30,7:30pça N Redl 6MIRa Semai wc 6-tOpa CM lin tte CasuNo Naagamrig 6 tOpa SpartsZONE Gse oif 7.» « k 7:00pa Sw» Tâi -lie b em 8.«Pm WbltRego cawd 8 00pm k.B UmrseAIJStar 7-00pmf NeGardeemg Sta June 23rd Feature of the week: The Jr. B Lacrosse Ail Star Game from Georgetown - Wednesday, 8 pm T a kln g y o ur c abl1e f u rth er 8 - The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, June 29, 1999 2douffla Sgt. Scott McLaughlin of Halton Reglonal Polices polygraph unît sys le detector tests are rail- able and con be valuable to lnviistigatlons. 1 kk