MOCA launches course to train polygraph examiners
Published:Tuesday | October 11, 2022 | 12:10 AMRuddy Mathison/Gleaner Writer
In its bid to strengthen integrity assurance across government agencies, the Major Organized Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) launched its first polygraph examiner’s course on Monday.
Speaking at the launch at the National Police College in St Catherine, National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang said that the Government is moving to tackle corruption within its ministries, agencies, and law enforcement bodies head-on.
“This is very much a part of the drive by the Government to have a strong and robust anti-corruption framework and integrity assurance for agencies to build confidence. This means that integrity screenings or credibility assessments will be an indispensable tool in the evaluation of future employees,” he said.
MOCA’s Polygraph and Vetting Unit has been functional since being established in 2014, conducting more than 11,000 screenings for the Jamaica Constabulary Force; the Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency, and several other government agencies. However, its examiners are trained overseas.
The course, which is the first of its kind in the region, will run from October 10 to December 16 and will facilitate the certification of eight new polygraph examiners from local and regional law enforcement agencies.
MOCA Director General Col Desmond Edwards said the basic training is a requirement for all persons who intend to practice as polygraph examiners and wish to be accredited by the American Polygraph Association (APA), the primary accreditation body.
“The agency’s commitment to developing its polygraph capability is an inextricable link to its mandate of creating a more transparent government and civil society,” said Edwards.
He added that participants are expected to complete 400 hours of work across 10 weeks of immersive training, to be delivered by instructors from the Canadian Police College.
MOCA Director of Communications Major Basil Jarrett said the course is a critical part of a series of measures that the agency has in place to help guarantee that staff can meet the highest level of public trust, confidence, and integrity.
He described the process employed by the agency’s Polygraph and Vetting Unit as tense, invasive, and thorough.