Originally published at: Polygraph Timelines Affected by DRP and Retirements | ClearanceJobs Blog
Previously, polygraphs were already the part of getting security clearance eligibility that took the longest with the Intelligence Community agencies. This was due to polygraph examiner shortages and scheduling backlogs which included having to test some individuals multiple times when the results were inconclusive or deception was found. Some applicants would wait from six months…
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What is the source for the information that the number of certified polygraphers has dropped about 30%? And since when has that drop occurred?
The latest figures I’ve come across (circa 2024) indicate that the federal government employed about 1,000 polygraph operators.
Source from an intel agency who has visibility on the DRP and hiring.
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Thanks! My understanding is that the federal polygraph school (the National Center for Credibility Assessment) at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, has trained about a hundred polygraph operators annually in recent years. So your conclusion that the ripple effect will reverberate for years seems well-founded.
Of course, one way the federal government could inexpensively solve this problem would be to scrap polygraph screening entirely. This would be in keeping with the National Research Council’s finding that “[polygraph testing’s] accuracy in distinguishing actual or potential security violators from innocent test takers is insufficient to justify reliance on its use in employee security screening in federal agencies.”
I flew to DC and did my FS poly under 3 weeks post COE. (this past June)