Police polygraph questionnaire.
A police polygraph questionnaire is extremely intense. It goes into and asks issues of a very personal nature. These questions are different from the ones asked on an employment interview. On an employment interview, you’re giving information on how good of a candidate for this job you are. All your positive attributes.
On the police polygraph questionnaire, they want to know everything stinking detail about the negatives in your life that have happened in the course of your life.
None of us are perfect and we all have skeletons in our closet. Throughout the years of the background investigation and polygraph testing those who work it has seen and heard everything! 🙂
What is the purpose of the questionnaire?
The purpose of the questionnaire is to find out everything negative in any persons past life that needs to be evaluated to see if this person will be suited to be a law enforcement officer.
And in a law enforcement environment just because it is evaluated that a person is not suited for a law enforcement position, does not mean they are a bad person or incompetent. It just measures whether they would be suited for that type of work environment.
When a person applies for a law enforcement position, there are lots of things that they have not considered. Most people who are applying for a law enforcement job, have watched a TV show or a movie in reference to law enforcement and they think to themselves, “this is what I want to do”. Pin on a badge and strap on a gun and go out there and catch the bad guy. 🙂
For the most part, TV shows and movies could not be further from the truth. TV shows and movies look at the glamorous aspect and the exciting aspects of law enforcement but they do not go into the tedious after action things that have to be done, like writing reports, booking the suspect and processing people who are spitting on you etc.
For example, as a former law-enforcement officer, I received continuing education training (while employed) and in this situation it was crime scene forensics investigation training class.
My current job at that time was criminal investigations.
A student (civilian) sitting next to me wanted to get into law enforcement. As the instructor continued his class and brought up photos on the screen of a crime scene where a baby had been mutilated, this student decided this was not the type of work for them.
It happens, nothing against them. Sometimes when we get down into the deeper details of the dirtier part of the job and people realize what it entails they realize that this is not the type work for them. That does not mean that they are not a capable workers in other areas of law enforcement.
This questionnaire along with the psychological test is what those who hire people in law enforcement are looking at.
Not everybody is suited for law enforcement psychologically and physically. This does not mean they are not capable or are great people and workers, but the on the street law enforcement environment will probably not work out for them.
This process is to help screen every body as far as their background history, indiscretions and possible violations from their past.
After all the information they filled out on the questionnaire is gone over, and questions are asked about that data then the polygraph test is done to determine if they were trying to hide any information.
So basically, when you boil it down, this whole process is to try to determine whether a person is psychologically, and physically going to be a good candidate as an employee with a particular law enforcement agency.
Things to consider when filling out the questionnaire. 
When filling out a questionnaire, don’t judge what you think you may put on there or may not. If you think in reference to question something in your past may apply but are not sure, put it down anyway.
Put as much detail as you can on any question whether you think it’s relevant or not. This will help the background investigator or polygraph examiner to determine how forthcoming with information you are. Leaving things out that you may think not be important might come into play later on. You do not want the background investigator or the polygraph examiner being suspicious of you possibly being intentionally leaving out pertinent information.
I have had test subjects who left simple things out on her questionnaire, like a place they had been employed in the past. I asked them, “why did you leave that out?” Their response was “I wasn’t there very long, and thought it was not very important.” Well, that is not for them to determine. We need to look at all the background information and decide whether they were a good employee whether they were there 10 minutes or 10 years on any prior job.
What not to do when filling out the questionnaire.
This is simple, when filling out a questionnaire be TOTALLY HONEST!!
I have test subjects all the time that during the pretest interview giving information that they did not put down on their application. As long as they are forthcoming and honest and give me this information we can work with that.
The ironic part is when people leave out information that they thought would hurt them and in the and would not have hurt them. But doing so in not revealing that information kicked them out of the process.
What is the importance of this whole proce
ss?
As you know, being a law-enforcement officer is a very serious job. This screening process is extremely important to make sure we have the best person in the best position as a law enforcement officer. As I have said before not all people are suited for law enforcement positions. They may be suited for a support structure alongside a law-enforcement officer but not suited for the actual out in the field duties.
My job as a polygraph examiner is to make sure we do not have somebody who is not suited, has a questionable background, or is not mentally able to handle the stress of being a law enforcement officer.
Please ask any questions that are on your mind.