Lie-detectors to be used on child sex offenders
TWO South Yorkshire detectives have joined a handful of specialist officers in the UK who will be able to use lie-detectors on child sex offenders.
DC Andy Tinker and DC Richard Chambers have begun training to become polygraph examiners to better understand and manage the risk posed by sex offenders, the force has confirmed. The pair started the 11-week course earlier this month, which is the first of its kind in British policing.
Polygraph testing will be used alongside existing measures to assess the risk posed by Registered Sex Offenders living in the community.
Det Insp Delphine Waring, from South Yorkshire Police, said: “There are many tactics we use to manage and identify sex offenders and polygraph testing is just one risk assessment tool we will use to protect the public.
“Managing sex offenders can often be challenging and we have to be innovative and creative in the approach we take. South Yorkshire Police strives to be at the forefront of policing and using this innovative and groundbreaking tool will assist in protecting people and keeping them safe from some of the most dangerous people in our communities.”
The technique is only used in South Yorkshire and Hertfordshire. South Yorkshire Police will offer the tests to anyone arrested on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children and to convicted sex offenders who are managed solely by the police.
The results will not be given in court as part of a prosecution, but will help the police address the risk factor of sex offenders and those caught in possession of indecent images of children.
The initiative is being funded by South Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Shaun Wright, who said it would help protect vulnerable people and reduce the risks posed by potential offenders.
Mr Wright said: “The programme will reduce investigation costs and help us protect more vulnerable people as we come to understand the risks associated with some of this criminal behaviour.
“This is an excellent opportunity for officers to be proactive in their management of suspects on police bail and contribute to protecting and safeguarding more children at risk of sexual abuse.”
The polygraph training is led by leading polygraph expert Professor Don Grubin, from Newcastle University.
The results of the initial work in Hertfordshire showed that Polygraph Testing, when used as part of the investigative process, yielded significant amounts of new information and a better understanding of the risk posed by these offenders. In some instances offenders were referred to further specialist services for treatment but in others further investigations were triggered.