LANCASTER, Pa. — Across the country, police departments are continuing to struggle to hire enough officers.
That includes in the City of Lancaster. The city's Bureau of Police is currently down more than 20 officers.
But even through those challenges, the department is upholding what its officers say are some of the highest standards in this region.
“We’re absolutely not going to lower our standards just because we have numerous vacancies," said Sgt. Todd Grager, the bureau's Office of Community Engagement sergeant.
After an applicant passes the physical and aptitude tests, they must also pass a polygraph test, which officers say is the most crucial piece of the hiring process.
“You’re working around sensitive, confidential information, you’re going to be testifying in court," explained Detective Sergeant Shawn Gunnet, who works in the Major Crimes unit for the city's Bureau of Police. "If you can’t tell the truth, that’s the number one most important thing.”
For the department, it’s also the part that keeps them from bringing many applicants onto the force.
“People have used drugs, people have gotten into fights, you can still get hired with those things in your background," Det. Sgt. Gunnet continued. "It’s just are you going to be honest about it.”
The polygraph test involves questions that fall under four categories: fabricating/falsifying information on the application form, withholding information about serious crimes, domestic violence, and illegal drugs.
"The purpose of the test is 'Are you going to come in here and give this information to us?' said Det. Sgt. Gunnet. "Truthfulness is the number one thing we look for.
On Wednesday, FOX43 got an inside look at how the polygraph test actually works.
"The whole chair itself, including the rectangular pad [on the floor], is a sensor. If anybody is moving, whether I can visibly see it or if you're doing something like tightening a calf muscle, that I can't visibly see, you'll be able to see it on the screen with their physiology," explained Det. Sgt. Gunnet.
It also measures relative blood pressure, blood volume in the capillaries of one's fingertips, movement in the chest cavity including breathing, and sweat activity and electrical conductance and resistance.
"The polygraph instrument works off of a 'fight or flight' response and if somebody doesn't like a question that they intend to lie to, it's a threatening question...it generates a different kind of deceitful response in accordance with physiology," said Det. Sgt. Gunnet.
Over the last three years, the department has just a 13% clearance rate when it comes to those who pass its polygraph test and get hired.
“It’s kind of a badge of honor that we hold ourselves to such a high standard and the folks we do hire are going to be the cream of the crop," said Sgt. Grager.
He continued, “The City of Lancaster looks at each officer as a million-dollar investment and the reality is that if we don’t do our due diligence through the background investigation process, that million-dollar investment is going to be tied up in litigation. We don’t want that to happen.”
The department opened its current application period on Monday and it will remain open until October 18. Anyone interested in applying can do so here.
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