Polygraph tests are an important part of the recruiting process that police departments have and have used for many years. However, there has always been debate within the criminal justice system over whether or not polygraph tests should be used. Regardless, polygraph tests are used by several police departments to recruit applicants. Those in favor of the polygraph test argue that it is a valuable tool that helps police departments determine whether the test taker will engage in illegal activity. In addition to determining whether applicants will engage in illegal activities, the polygraph can be used to eliminate applicants due to their past offenses. This then saves the police department money that could have been used to train that person. However, those who oppose the use of polygraphs argue that there are countermeasures that can be used to attempt to cheat the polygraph test. Critics also argue that the candidate's motivation plays an effect on polygraph readings. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get an Original EssayBefore we talk about the pros and cons of using polygraph tests in the police department recruitment process, it is important to know what a polygraph test is. This is how it works. The polygraph machine compares physiological responses, such as blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate and sweating, to different types of questions to determine whether someone is telling the truth or being deceptive. As they are asked these questions, their physiological responses are monitored. Physiological monitoring shows an increase in the examinee's physiological response and can be seen as an individual trying to cheat on the polygraph test. During the polygraph test, the examiner may use various questioning techniques such as Guilty Knowledge Test (commonly known as Hidden Information Test), Control Questions Test (CQT), Pre-Employment Polygraph (PEP ), the relevant-irrelevant technique (RIT). . Although there are many interrogation techniques, CQT is the most commonly used technique by law enforcement. This technique works by questioning the candidate's integrity by asking questions relating to other behaviors the individual may also have engaged in. Know that some basic knowledge about what a polygraph is and how it works is known, some knowledge about how the polygraph was invented should also be known. Physiologist and police officer John Larsson first introduced the polygraph, as we know it today, in the 1920s at the University of California, Berkeley. However, Larson was not the first person to create the polygraph, it was William Marston. Larson only made it better. William first created an early prototype polygraph in 1915. However, the machine he invented only measured blood pressure. Larson added to this by proposing a device that simultaneously measured blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate and sweating. However, Larson did not file a patent and a man, Leonarde Keeler, who worked under him, applied for one. Along with Larson, Keeler also made improvements to the device, such as finding a way to use regular ink; so that it is not necessaryhalf hour to prepare the machine. Since the polygraph's inception, there has been much discussion about the pros and cons of its implementation in the criminal justice system recruitment process. To apply to the RCMP, there is a six-step process: submit an online application, take the entrance exam, complete forms, pre-employment polygraph exam, undergo a health assessment and submit a field investigation and security clearance. Throughout this process, the Pre-Employment Polygraph Examination (PEP) helps the RCMP verify all of the information the candidate provided during the previous three steps. This then helps the agency recruit individuals who meet the following requirements, based on their core values: integrity, honesty, professionalism, compassion, respect and responsibility. Over the years, numerous studies have been carried out to verify that the polygraph is an accurate tool. As noted in Understanding How Polygraph Tests Work and Use by Iacono out of two thousand polygraph tests performed, there was a 98% accuracy rate. This shows that there is only a 2% chance that the polygraph test will show incorrect results. People who take polygraph tests argue that when mistakes are made or incorrect results are produced, it is due to the negligence of the examiner. Even if the percentage is not 100%, the PEP remains an effective way to disqualify undesirable candidates. The PEP is a benefit that police departments have because it helps the agency uncover any past illegal activity. This then gives them the opportunity to eliminate any applicant who does not meet the required requirements or who has given the agency suspicion of engaging in unethical activities. In a study conducted by Robert Meesig and Frank Horvath, it was shown that out of 626 large agencies, 62% used PEP in their recruiting process, 7% used it, and 31% had never used it. And that among 1,482 small agencies, 13% used the PEP, 4% used it and 83% had never used it. This in turn helped police reject 25% of applicants, due to information revealed during the PEP. Of the 25 percent of rejected applicants, 9 percent involved unsolved homicides, 34 percent involved sexual assault cases, and 38 percent involved armed robberies. The study shows that without the use of the polygraph, the 25% rejected would have been admitted and the police would not have known of their past activities. Additionally, the PEP test eliminated all candidates who did not meet the requirements. Using the polygraph also saves police forces money because the RCMP does not charge applicants for training. In addition to the fact that candidates do not have to pay for training, while they are at the Regina depot for the 26 weeks, they receive $500 per week. This totals $13,000, which is just the amount for a single candidate. There are about 32 cadets there, which means the RCMP spends $416,000 on training alone. Along with this, the RCMP pays for applicants' living expenses, travel to and from the depot, uniform fees, training courses and insurance. According to Statistics Canada, in 2016, 2,630 agents were hired. This means that in 2016, the RCMP spent $34,190,000 on training alone. If the polygraph test had not been administered, an unknown number of applicants could have been hired and the agency may not have discovered the applicant's history for activities for which he or she was not apprehended. This could then lead them to.