Polygraph Trips Potential Cops

Twenty-three-year-old New Haven Police Department hopeful Andrew Logan followed his uncle cop’s advice to the letter: Be totally honest and tell the truth about absolutely everything, including about the use of his girlfriend’s acne medication.

And he said he did.

But the polygraph decided otherwise.

So now he doesn’t get to become a cop. At least for now.

Logan made a last-ditch attempt to the Board of Police Commissioners at its most recent meeting to keep him on a list of applicants certified to become New Haven cops.

The polygraph results tripped up at least two people among a group of 23 participating in the arduous recruitment process to the fill the ranks of the police department, which is looking for new officers in the wake of a wave both veterans’ retirements and newer officers transferring to more lucrative jobs in other towns.

Those 23 are on the current candidate Civil Service list #17 – 28. However, based on last month’s polygraph and other results of the ongoing background checks that the department runs on candidates, Chief Anthony Campbell recommended to the Board of Police Commissioners that their names be removed from the list.

The rejected were at police headquarters this past Tuesday night for a specially convened police commissioners meeting to make their final please. Candidates recommended for removal are entitled to appeal that decision to the commissioners, the ultimate authority in such matters.

Each candidate has the right to review his file and the recommendation and then can choose to make the appeal — remarks of three or four minutes were allowed to each candidate to address the concerns raised— in closed or open session before the commissioners.

Only Logan and one other candidate, a 30-year-old Milford resident, chose to speak in public, where reporters were allowed.

When final votes were taken at the end of the evening of appeals, only six of 23 prevailed and were allowed to remain on the list.One candidate’s review was tabled.

As Logan took his seat at one end of the long table in the chief’s suite of offices, where the commissioners gathered along with Asst. Chief Racheal Cain Chairman Anthony Dawson welcomed and thanked Logan for coming.

“You have three or four minutes,” Dawson said.

“The polygraph is why I am sitting before you,” Logan began. Then he told the commissioners about the cops in his own family, among them a mentoring uncle who had urged him to be utterly honest in answering all questions. And he was honest, he averred.

So honest in fact, he said, that when the polygraph question arose as to whether he had used any prescription medication when he shouldn’t have, ​“I answered that I used my girlfriend’s acne cream.”

“I do not know why the polygraph-er was saying I was dishonest,” said Logan.

“It was his last [test] of the day,” Logan added, suggesting that perhaps that contributed to the results.

“This is extremely important to me,” he concluded.

Commissioner Evelise Ribeiro asked for confirmation that Logan had served in the military, as his record indicated. He confirmed that he had served since 2012, as a military police officer.

Commissioner Stephen Garcia asked for clarification of another matter flagged in Logan’s file: Why he was let go from a volunteer position doing clerical or note-taking work at Westfield State University, in Massachusetts.

Logan confirmed that he was. His explanation: A disconnect between himself and his employer.

“If you are allowed to remain on the list, you agree to take the polygraph again?”

Logan said he absolutely would.

Internet Cheat Sheet?

As soon as he left, the Milford resident entered, the only other of the candidates from the list accepting to speak in open session. He said he wanted to provide the commissioners additional information because his file noted that he had failed his polygraph.

“My polygraph examiner mentioned I was using tactics found on the Internet to alter results. I was not. Nor did I even know of these tactics. I’d be more than happy to take another one. I am one hundred percent certain I’d pass it as I’ve done for another [police] department. TI was caught off guard. I was telling the absolute truth,” the Milford resident maintained.

Then, as commissioners listened intently, he added other reasons the issue is so important to him: ​“I’ve wanted to be a police officer and role model [my whole life] .. and to help the community. I know New Haven is a high violent crime city. I see the city and community is in a disconnect. I want to help that. If you give me another opportunity, I won’t let you down.”

Commissioner Greg Smith asked the Milford incident about an incident, flagged in his folder, that took place at a Foot Locker where he had been working. It involved false transactions there back in 2005 or 2006 where ​“people were using my ID card,” the Milford resident said. ​“A detective questioned me. I told him I didn’t do it.”

At issue were $1,500 worth of goods allegedly fraudulently taken. The Milford resident said he wanted to get the matter over and done with and when he was asked to settle by paying $600, he accepted. He said he went to the Trumbull police, where the matter was settled, and there was no follow-up.

“Did you admit to fraud?” Smith asked.

“No, sir,” the Milford resident replied.

In the end, commissioners sustained Chief Campbell’s recommendation to remove him by a unanimous 5 – 0 vote. Logan’s removal was also sustained by a vote of three in favor, two opposed.

Jamarr Daniels, who had successfully fought removal from the list last month, was removed from the list by a vote of four in favor, and one opposed.

Lt. Robert Criscuolo, the officer in charge of organizing the candidates’ appearances before the board Tuesday night, said the number of eliminations from the ciivil service list seemed in his experience normal for the process.