Page and Kingman Police Depts. First in AZ to Use New Automated Polygraph
A 2023 Decision by the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board to Officially Define a Polygraph Opened the Door for EyeDetect+, an Automated Polygraph from Utah-Based Tech Co. Converus, to Be Used by Arizona Police Depts. Statewide
The City of Page Police Dept. is the first AZ law enforcement agency to use EyeDetect+, a modernized alternative to traditional polygraph examinations, for screening job applicants.
LEHI, Utah – March 26, 2025 – Police departments in Arizona now use a modernized version of the traditional polygraph, called EyeDetect+, thanks to the approval of the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZPOST), which adopted the official polygraph definition from the U.S. Dept. of Labor.
AZPOST oversees the hiring and training standards for all police and corrections officers in the state — including the requirement that every applicant undergo a polygraph exam.
So far, the City of Page and Kingman police depts. have used this new technology as an alternative to traditional polygraph examinations for screening job applicants. It can also be used to conduct investigations.
The U.S. Dept. of Labor defines the polygraph as “… an instrument that records continuously, visually, permanently, and simultaneously changes in cardiovascular, respiratory and electrodermal patterns as minimum instrumentation standards and is used to render a diagnostic opinion as to the honesty or dishonesty of an individual.” (Source: Fact Sheet #36: Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988.)
Since EyeDetect+ — an automated polygraph from Converus — meets this definition, and also complies with the American Polygraph Association (APA) standard for measuring electrodermal activity, it’s considered a polygraph by AZPOST and police departments statewide can use it. This decision makes Arizona one of the first U.S. states to formally recognize EyeDetect+ as meeting polygraph requirements for law enforcement screening.
According to AZPOST’s Jan. 23, 2023 meeting minutes, several Arizona agencies asked AZPOST Executive Director Matt Giordano about this new technology and expressed interest in using it. In these minutes (section “F”), it reads, “Assistant Attorney General Mark Brachtl stated this issue developed because there are emerging technologies that are claiming that they can measure an individual’s honesty or dishonesty.”
Brachtl was tasked with clarifying the definition of a polygraph examination. Finding no definition existed in Arizona, he then “surveyed federal legislation and found that there is a definition of what is a polygraph examination in federal legislation,” which is what AZPOST adopted.
“The accuracy of EyeDetect+ is as good or better than a traditional polygraph. Since the testing process is automated and test results are determined by computer algorithms instead of a human, it’s impartial, objective, and ensures trustworthy results,” said Page Police Dept. Lieutenant Ted Barnard. His agency has 24 sworn officers and 22 civilian staff.
Previously, Page PD relied on traditional polygraph tests. According to Bernard, this posed logistical challenges, including requiring candidates to travel out of town and relying on third-party polygraph examiners — who were typically challenging to schedule. These limitations led to longer hiring timelines and increased costs, making it difficult to hire the limited pool of qualified candidates before competing agencies.
Other than the polygraph changing from analog to digital in 1991, EyeDetect+ is the first major evolution in the 100-year-plus history of the polygraph because it automates the testing process, removing any potential examiner bias. It also replaces the blood pressure cuff — which can become extremely uncomfortable when contracted for long periods of time — with small sensors attached to the wrists.
EyeDetect+ addresses these issues by allowing tests to be conducted in-house. The test takes 20-45 minutes instead of the minimum 90 minutes for a traditional polygraph, reducing the time and resources needed for pre-employment screenings. Training on the system takes one day instead of the standard ten weeks for the traditional polygraph.
“The convenience has been a game-changer for us,” said Barnard. “It’s allowed us to process candidates more quickly and efficiently.”
In addition to capturing the same physiological data as a traditional polygraph, EyeDetect+ adds an ocular data channel by measuring involuntary eye behavior.
“EyeDetect+ is a substantial evolution in the 100-year-plus history of the polygraph because it automates the testing process and removes the blood pressure cuff, ensuring results are impartial and the testing process is faster and less intrusive,” said Converus CEO Todd Mickelsen.
Mickelsen cites the significant improvement in the testing experience of replacing the blood pressure cuff — which can become highly uncomfortable when inflated for long periods — with small sensors attached to the wrists.
Last year Barnard helped the Kingman Police Dept. with their job candidate screening by bringing his EyeDetect+ equipment there and conducting tests.
“EyeDetect+ makes it easier for smaller agencies like ours and Kingman to access polygraph technology without the cost and time required to train our personnel as polygraph examiners or to rely on third-party examiners,” said Barnard.
For more information: converus.com
# # #
About Converus®
Converus provides scientifically validated credibility assessment technologies. VerifEye® is the world’s first mobile app to help organizations or individuals accurately verify the truth about a person — including background, identity, creditworthiness and claims — in about 10 minutes. EyeDetect®, which detects deception by measuring involuntary eye behavior, is a fast, accurate, affordable, noncontact, scalable, and fully automated option to polygraph. EyeDetect+ is the world’s first automated polygraph, making the testing process impartial, accurate, and less intrusive (than a traditional polygraph). It assesses credibility by monitoring and recording ocular activity plus physiological activity similar to a traditional polygraph. Customers worldwide use the EyeDetect product line for screening and investigations to help protect countries, corporations and communities from corruption, crime and threats. Converus is headquartered in Lehi, Utah, USA. Visit converus.com
______________________________________________________________________
Press Contact: Jeff Pizzino, APR
