Some problems of polygraph examination in crime detection

Introduction. Using a polygraph in crime detection is effective for criminal investigation, however, it causes a range of urgent scientific and practical problems that require analysis and solution. Materials and Methods. The data included investigative and court files (over 300 criminal cases). The methods comprised: self-analysis of the authors' personal experience concerning 1,000 conducted researches and expert examinations using the polygraph; interviewing; questioning of interrogators, investigators, experts and examinees (152 respondents), specialists conducting researches and expert examinations with the polygraph according to the law enforcement organs' rulings (152 respondents). Results and Discussion. The author reveals such problems of polygraph use in crime detection as theoretically arguable role of polygraph in the structure of crime detection measures; examinee's acquiring polygraph experience; specialist's informing of the examinee about details of a crime; superficial nature of “operative” polygraph examinations; specialist's and expert's unequal statuses. The mentioned peculiarities of polygraph use negatively influence the results of the following forensic polygraph examination and cause harm to the system of evidence on a criminal case. Conclusions. To increase effectiveness of criminal investigation it is suggested to exclude polygraph examinations with regard to such crime detection measure as questioning and give them criminal procedural status as a source of evidence.