Internet Cop Bashing

[Smoke]

This is related to the polygraph comments

In 1991 I was arrested by CID at Ft. Lewis for "Communication of a terrorist threat against the United States".

Someone called the CQ desk in my barracks and said there was a bomb in the building. A "friend" of mine thought it would be funny to tell CID I did it. His joke made it impossible for me to ever be promoted above E5 and ended my military "career".

Anyway I was asked to take a polygraph. Regarding the specific incident I was charged with the polygraph completely exonerated me but they uncovered some "deception" in my answers about my past history. I got in a fight when I was 12 years old and threw a knife at someone and I didn't want to tell them about it.

If I knew everything then that I know now I would have invoked my 5th Ammendment Rights immediately but for sure when they told me the polygraph had cleared me of the initial charge.

A few years later when I was up for promotion to SSG. I had to get a security clearance so I could sign for ammunition. The clearance was denied because I had been investigated, not even formally charged. No Article 32. No clearance, no promotion and very likely QMP'd so I didn't bother reenlisting.

 

[Sevens]

That's a rough experience right there.

 

[tripledipper]

On occasion there is an LE whose actions causes the whole LE community to become a target of the media and the liberal establishment and there are very few cops who do not condemn this fellow officer for making the whole profession come under a microscope by his actions. I have had family members in LE for over 60 years including two sons and two grandchildren as well as nieces and nephews. The younger generation have seen the handwriting on the wall and have mostly moved on. How many of you LE on the forum would tell a young relative to become a member of law enforcement today? The profession has been diluted by lowering standards and by limiting the scope of activities they are allowed to perform and the fear of being punished or indicted themselves for just doing their jobs.

 

[Old cop]

I never tried to arrest anyone but have assisted by passing on info to officers doing searches that resulted in arrests three times, and twice given info that was sufficient enough to have two people uncuffed and released.

Ten or so years ago a Lawrenceville, GA letter carrier was shot in the stomach by a guy who was sick and in need of much medical care that he could not afford. He shot the mail carrier as it was a felony and he would receive medical treatment in prison.

Pine Lake, GA. police chased an armed robber into the PO and a few folks were wounded in the following shooting.

It is a dangerous world out there.

No doubt & thank goodness these are rare occurrances.

 

[cololab]

Based on my 35 years of service I see that have a lot of shared experiences, to one degree or another, with most all of you LEOs. It is indeed a different world today and we are experiencing things on a scale I would not have thought likely when I became a LEO all those years ago.

My Grandfather, Dad and Son in Law were all LEOs, but because of societal attitudes today I can't say with any degree of certainty that I would encourage my grandsons to follow that career path.

I hope things change; we need good people.

 

[LVSteve]

Some time ago I mentioned US polygraph use to somebody who had once been in the UK security apparatus. He smirked and said something like, "I suppose they didn't get all the witches at Salem". After that he made it clear that he and the UK establishment considered use of the polygraph "unsafe".

 

[johngalt]

Some time ago I mentioned US polygraph use to somebody who had once been in the UK security apparatus. He smirked and said something like, "I suppose they didn't get all the witches at Salem". After that he made it clear that he and the UK establishment considered use of the polygraph "unsafe".

The fact that polygraph results are not admissible in court is telling. I've been told the polygraph is just one element of the interrogation (it isn't an interview). Supposedly the examiners are good at reading the subject without the polygraph, it is just another tool.

 

[Old cop]

I used the polygraph more during my two yrs in IA than my five years as a detective in CID/Burglary. If IA orders an officer on The Box they’re usually on their way out anyhow.

 

[biku324]

We mostly used polygraph results to get candidate reaction to questioning on their background investigation.

 

[Smoke]

I meant to say this in my first post but I believe polygraphs are pretty accurate.

When I had mine the technician explained how the polygraph worked and how he was going to do the test.

He went over the questions he was going to ask me beforehand and he reworded them so I could answer each question with a clear "Yes" or "No".

Before he started the test he had me write a number between one and ten. He wrote in the other nine numbers then asked me to answer "No." each time he asked "Did you write this number?"

Even though I knew what was coming and I wasn't actually deceiving the guy my heart rate went way up the closer he got to the "lie".

When they did the real test I didn't "lie" but I deliberately hid the incident with the knife and he caught it.

I still think that he had no business asking me any further questions after he established that I had nothing to do with the bomb threat and I still think I should have invoked my Right to remain silent immediately. It wouldn't have changed anything but I still should have done it.

In case anyone is interested my unit was going through POM for Desert Storm and my Battalion Commander ended up telling CID to charge me or drop the case so they could send me to the desert.

The Provost Marshall dropped the charges and the war ended before our second detachment was sent.