By Christine Byers, Chicago Daily Herald (Illinois)
Lake in the Hills Police Sgt. Dave Brey couldn’t wait to use his new lie detection equipment this week - too bad for his 7-year-old son, Austin.
The boy brought a note home from school stating he had thrown a book in class. He confessed to the offense, but when asked if he fooled around in class, he failed.
“This indicates he’s been deceitful,” Brey said, as he pointed to a readout of the patterns in his son’s taped conversation on his laptop screen.
Brey was one of about 20 suburban officers this week to become certified in using Voice Stress Analysis technology, which measures the changes in the tone of a voice under stress.
The officers in his session, given at the Lake in the Hills Safety Education Center, represented Algonquin, Crystal Lake, Des Plaines, Johnsburg, McHenry, Mundelein, Peru, Round Lake Beach, Spring Grove, Vernon Hills, Wauconda and the McHenry County sheriff’s office.
Hundreds of Illinois officers are lined up behind them hoping to learn the technique, which the Illinois General Assembly approved in December. Until then, Illinois was among a handful of states that had not embraced the more than 30-year-old technology.
Some officers blame the lag on the lobbying efforts of those in the polygraph community.
The polygraph industry, in turn, says it has good reason to object - that the voice test jeopardizes civil liberties, said Dan Sosnowski, spokesman for the American Polygraph Association.
“Law enforcement is going to use it because they’re being told it’s easy, quick and cheap,” said Sosnowski, a former Schaumburg resident and Vernon Hills police officer. “But if I’ve got to worry about my civil liberties, I don’t want anything that’s quick and cheap.”
The voice test is less invasive than a polygraph test, which measures blood pressure, skin resistance, respiration and requires the subject to sit perfectly still, Brey said.
“Plus a lot of state polygraphers are not being replaced,” Brey said, and police can face delays in getting tests done. The polygraph delays are an inherent problem because of its science, Sosnowski said.
To become a certified voice stress analyzer, an officer must complete a six-day course. To become a polygraph examiner, eight weeks of classroom time coupled with an internship translates to about six months of required training.
The results of voice tests should not be admissible in court because there is not enough supporting scientific research, said Sosnowski, who also owns a polygraph testing, consulting and training business.
“The general public needs to understand why their tax dollars would go to buy a device knowing there’s no scientific reliability to it,” Sosnowski said. “It’s like a chief saying, ‘Let me buy this gun. I can get it at a good price, and it will fire 40 percent of the time.
“Should an individual be criminally charged and should they go to jail on 35 to 40 percent accuracy?”
The results of some voice stress tests are allowed in court when both attorneys agree. There’s also plenty of research supporting the technique, said Gary Baker, who taught the class this week.
Still, Mississippi, Texas and Virginia prohibit its use in law enforcement.
“The polygraph lobby ring is strong and they see it as a threat,” Baker said.
The Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board approved Baker’s syllabus, making it the first of two courses certified.
“It’s a growing technology and there’s a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding out there,” said Detective Randy Akin of the Des Plaines Police Department. “It needs to become more understood on how it can be better utilized as an investigative tool in the future.”
Officer Rebecca Foy of the Vernon Hills Police Department said she can’t wait to use the software in the field. On patrol, the portable system will allow her to conduct interviews in suspects’ homes and in her car.
Baker charges $1,250 for training of each examiner and $300 for annual re-certification training. The software and user licenses are free.
“It gives the ability for the test to be given at the local level because it makes it more affordable for smaller agencies,” said Investigative Sgt. Keith George of the Round Lake Beach Police Department. “Illinois has been behind on getting it approved and we’re still behind on limited uses.”
Illinois officers can use the technology only during criminal investigations. Using the test for pre-employment screening, internal affairs and during traffic stops still is prohibited. Also, a person must give written consent to be tested.
But in the private sector, the lines are more obscure, said Mark Payne of England, an insurance claims adjuster who traveled here to attend the class.
“We have to tell people we’re taping them, but not about the lie detecting,” Payne said. “It’ll validate the genuine claims.”
The Lake in the Hills Police Department plans to begin using the technology as soon as next week.
“We have cases waiting for this,” Brey said.
As far as little Austin’s case, he’s innocent until proven guilty.