Police, prison reps cool with lie detector tests

Representatives of both police and prison officers on Monday told Newsday they supported a call for the conducting of mandatory lie detector tests to try to weed out officers who tip off criminals. Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, in piloting a bill on wire-tapping last Friday in the Senate, promised to draft a law soon to allow the testing of officers.

“Tipping off is a reality in Trinidad and Tobago and it has to be criminalised,” the AG had said. “We are aware members of the protective services, unfortunately, find themselves engaged in tipping off.”

Police Social and Welfare Association (PSWA) head Gideon Dickson told Newsday “If the law states mandatory testing, the police will have to comply. We’ll uphold the law, whatever the law says, and try to comply.” Newsday asked if association members have discussed the AG’s proposal.

He replied, “We engaged in talk on this 5-6 months ago. We maintain that as law enforcement officers we are prepared to support whatever the law says. In the interim, it does not say so, but we are prepared to support whatever the law says.”

Newsday got a similar response from Prison Officers Association (POA) general secretary Lester Walcott, offering his personal view as the POA executive had not discussed the AG’s recent remark. “I see no problem with it, if you want to have a job requiring the highest level of integrity. If this measure will weed out corrupt officers, I welcome it.”

Walcott noted that this was not the first time lie-testing has been discussed, recalling Police Commissioner Gary Griffith’s previous call to be able to ask police officers three specific questions to try to unearth those with criminal links. “There should be some measure of trust,” Walcott said in support of testing.