Polygraph testing vital in Trinidad and Tobago

THE EDITOR: The president of the Police Social and Welfare Association, ASP Gideon Dickson, mentioned in a recent article that police would be meeting with lawyers to consider legal options regarding the polygraph bill since potentially infringes on police officers' constitutional rights.

That is all well and good, but who is Dickson suing or going to sue, the Government, parliamentarians or the polygraph’s administrative entity? He did not specify who he was going after.

When he applied to be a deputy CoP, he said he has a MBA and 25 years experience in police work. All this experience and knowledge didn't see him getting the job and now he emerges again weighing his options.

If he is what he said he is, then he should have known that no man is above the law and every person is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, especially all the police officers who are purportedly involved in corruption.

While I agree that every Tom, Dick and Harry should be tested across the board to determine who has failed and who has passed the lie detector test, it should be noted that it is not the litmus test for prosecution.

I am sure he knows that the results of a lie detector test is not admissible as evidence in a court of law, nor does its failure indicate a person will then be indicted. All it does is show that the person may be lying.

So, I can’t understand why a man with a MBA and 25 years experience couldn’t comprehend the relevance and usefulness of polygraph testing.

And of course people are entitled to the civic protection of the law, including police officers, judges, lawyers, doctors and the layman. This simply means everyone is subjected to the test, which I think is highly warranted in the country.

And by the way, the lie detector test has never been confirmed to be accurate or conclusive, it is not a tool used to convict someone or target police officers or pathological liars.

So why worry about the police officers being fired or losing their job. It is worthy to know that the welfare of every officer is of paramount importance, but there also has been an insurmountable amount of allegations of corruption in the police force.

JAY RAKHAR

New York