Failed Poly and other agencies

[RoninWasteland]

Hi everyone. I know others have had experience with this, so I am hopeful some of you will have insight into my situation.

I recently failed an LAPD poly and have requested a re-test as I was not feeling well during my initial session. I am still waiting to find out if I will be granted a re-test.

In the meantime, I am moving forward in the selection process with several other departments. My question is... how will it reflect on me when I reveal that I have already taken and failed a poly with another agency? I am assuming that it will not look favorable and wonder what pieces of advice anyone may have.

[codered]

What specific area of the test , do you feal may have failed you?

[RoninWasteland]

i was told that i showed reactions to two questions...one regarding disposition towards others based on personal biases and the other about domestic abuse. the day of the test, i was feeling nauseous with severe upset stomach, which i thought was a result of nervousness. the examiner said it would not affect the outcome of the test, so i tried not to let it bother me. but when i got home, i threw up and had cold sweats the entire night. so my nerves were either REALLY bothering me or i had some kind of stomach virus. in either case, it clearly affected the results of my test since i showed "reactions" to questions i know i did not lie on.

at any rate, my biggest concern is how this will reflect on subsequent background interviews with other departments.

[nunzio]

Ronin, I feel your pain. I have heard of situations where a person failed his/her polygraph with one department, and went on to pass another department's. I really don't know why many agencies rely on these foolish tests to determine an applicant's suitability for hire. There are many large departments that do not use lie detectors for this purpose(NYPD, Boston p.d., Philadelphia p.d., all departments in Minnesota, Oregon, and New Jersey to mention a few),and they do fine without them. The saddest part about this issue is the fact that innocent, truthful people are being failed and disqualified. It makes me wonder how many people are lying when they pass theirs.

[rdp]

The next dept. may ask you about the areas in which you failed.......no big deal. Unless you make it into one.

[Stump]

Oh, god... I can smell it... I can feel it coming now....
the door is opening... and in comes.... ******

[RoninWasteland]

stump, could you please elaborate on your response? i'm not quite sure what that meant...

[siberianexpress]

Personally, I feel the polygraph is an outdated piece of bull**** that some agencies/deptartments rely too heavily on. There is a reason polygraph results are not admissable in a court of law, otherwise many innocent people would be screwed. In NJ, it is not allowed for hiring. Studies have proven that over 50% of so called "reactions" to answers are caused by stimuli other than the physiological effects caused by a person telling what they perceive to be a lie. Innocent people have failed, and there are psychopaths out there who would pass with no problem.

[metallicat]

Isn't that why you get qualified people to administer the test so that they can also judge you personally? I also heard that part of the exam is the interiew that goes on with the test administrator.

[siberianexpress]

No interviewer has the ability to read minds. You may be a total psycho, and be able to pass a psych. interview and a poly. Thankfully, the other levels of the process weed out bad apples, like the background, physical PT test, and even the academy. I have heard that some academies have a 15-25% dropout/kicked out rate. I guess if you don't have what it takes mentally/physically/morally it's hard to stand up to several months of training without your true colors coming out.

I still think a few good candidates have been taken out of the process due to unfair poly testing. Just my opinion. I know some people think a poly is a magical mind reading device that detects all bad thoughts.:wc:

[Stump]

Originally posted by RoninWasteland
stump, could you please elaborate on your response? i'm not quite sure what that meant...

Sorry, Ronin.. its just that whenever anyone mentions the poly, a certain member swoops in and starts talking about how the polys aren't accurate, invites you to visit its website, and generally is very one-sided.
Personally, I have no problems with the poly, and I think the examiner not only looks at the test results, but your body language, reaction, and admittances as part of the results. The poly is not admissible in court, but the interview they do before the poly is. That is something to think about... you may have admitted to something, or answered a question which led the examiner to think you were deceptive, etc.

[rdp]

The poly is admissible here as an investigative tool in certain circumstances.....

The argument of it being not admissible in court is a common way of people saying that polys are worthless.

[dizza]

Originally posted by RoninWasteland
Hi everyone. I know others have had experience with this, so I am hopeful some of you will have insight into my situation.

I recently failed an LAPD poly and have requested a re-test as I was not feeling well during my initial session. I am still waiting to find out if I will be granted a re-test.

In the meantime, I am moving forward in the selection process with several other departments. My question is... how will it reflect on me when I reveal that I have already taken and failed a poly with another agency? I am assuming that it will not look favorable and wonder what pieces of advice anyone may have.

I too had a problem with my LAPD poly... appealed it, and got a second one, passed it with flying colors. One thing that might hurt you in this case, is the poly examiner always asks if you got enough sleep the night before, that you have atleast eaten a meal that day, and that you are feeling fine. Now if you disclosed to him that you were not feeling well to begin with and he/she said it would be alright.. then you have a good chance of a second poly.

Most agencies will ask how far along in the process you made it with other agencies. Between the first poly and the second, an agency asked me if I took the poly with LAPD, which I replied that I did. They didn't ask whether or not that I passed it. Even if you say you failed it, they can't disqualify you just on that fact alone. They have to give you their own poly.

David

[razdaz]

Why is having a well researched, yet differing, opinion so hard for some on this site to tolerate?

[dizza]

And to what are you refering to?

David