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| Police trial lie detector tests on sex offender suspects | Police trial lie detector tests on sex offender suspects |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Police have begun using lie detector tests on suspected sex offenders in a trial which could be widened. | Police have begun using lie detector tests on suspected sex offenders in a trial which could be widened. |
| Hertfordshire Police confirmed it had been using polygraphs, which monitor heart rate, brain activity, sweating and blood pressure, during questioning. | Hertfordshire Police confirmed it had been using polygraphs, which monitor heart rate, brain activity, sweating and blood pressure, during questioning. |
| The pilot scheme was being used to help decide whether to charge suspects, according to The Times. | The pilot scheme was being used to help decide whether to charge suspects, according to The Times. |
| But the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) said the tests were at a very early stage. | But the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) said the tests were at a very early stage. |
| The Times reported that Hertfordshire Police tested 25 "low-level" sex offenders, with some making disclosures they might otherwise have been unlikely to and others apparently lying - prompting officers to conduct further investigations. | The Times reported that Hertfordshire Police tested 25 "low-level" sex offenders, with some making disclosures they might otherwise have been unlikely to and others apparently lying - prompting officers to conduct further investigations. |
| Acpo said its Homicide Working Group advised police on the use of polygraph techniques and would follow the trial in Hertfordshire with interest. | Acpo said its Homicide Working Group advised police on the use of polygraph techniques and would follow the trial in Hertfordshire with interest. |
| A spokeswoman said: "Polygraph techniques are complex and are by no means a single solution to solving crimes, potentially offering in certain circumstances an additional tool to structured interrogation. | A spokeswoman said: "Polygraph techniques are complex and are by no means a single solution to solving crimes, potentially offering in certain circumstances an additional tool to structured interrogation. |
| "These initial trials are in their very early stages and we will follow their progress, working with chief officers across the country to provide further guidance if necessary. | "These initial trials are in their very early stages and we will follow their progress, working with chief officers across the country to provide further guidance if necessary. |
| "Whether these techniques are adopted elsewhere in the country is a matter for individual chief constables." | "Whether these techniques are adopted elsewhere in the country is a matter for individual chief constables." |
| Acpo represents chief police officers from England, Wales and Northern Ireland. | Acpo represents chief police officers from England, Wales and Northern Ireland. |
| Hertfordshire Police confirmed its use of the pilot scheme but would not give any further details. | Hertfordshire Police confirmed its use of the pilot scheme but would not give any further details. |
| Bruce Burgess, a former chairman of the British Polygraph Association, said that in the US lie detectors were considered to be a useful "investigative tool", even though they produced evidence that was "very difficult to get into court" and were unlikely ever to be used as "a guilty or innocent tool". | |
| He said offering polygraph tests to a number of suspects could provide a degree of insight if, for example, somebody refused to take the test. | |
| He added: "If they polygraph six people and they get five truthful results and one deceptive, they can home in on that person and cut down on a lot of police work. That's the way it's used in America." | |
| Probation trial | |
| Although routine in police investigations in the US, the results of lie detector tests are considered too unreliable for use in criminal trials in the UK. | Although routine in police investigations in the US, the results of lie detector tests are considered too unreliable for use in criminal trials in the UK. |
| Acpo said it was providing advice to other police forces. A spokeswoman said it was a choice for individual chief police officers whether they adopted similar techniques. | Acpo said it was providing advice to other police forces. A spokeswoman said it was a choice for individual chief police officers whether they adopted similar techniques. |
| Although the Hertfordshire pilot looked at the use of lie detectors to aid decisions over whether or not to charge suspects, a three-year pilot study in the East and West Midlands could lead to the compulsory testing of convicted sex offenders. | Although the Hertfordshire pilot looked at the use of lie detectors to aid decisions over whether or not to charge suspects, a three-year pilot study in the East and West Midlands could lead to the compulsory testing of convicted sex offenders. |
| The Ministry of Justice has been overseeing the project, aimed at testing sex offenders as part of their probation conditions when they are freed from prison. | The Ministry of Justice has been overseeing the project, aimed at testing sex offenders as part of their probation conditions when they are freed from prison. |