Described as an “investigative tool” the Computer Voice Stress Analyzer is a 98% accurate lie detector. The Niagara County Sheriff’s Office utilizes the device, Sheriff Michael Filliceti said, to rule people in or out of an investigation.
Its results are not admissible in a court of law, according to District Attorney Brian Seaman.
Filliceti said it’s still an important tool for his department. “It is helpful in the aspect in that they’re either being deceptive, or they’re not, and you can rule them in or rule them out of the investigation,” he said.
While not admissible, the “tool” is quite simple and takes only a half-hour compared to the more traditional lie detector test which takes several hours. It has been a part of the sheriff’s office’s arsenal of equipment since 1988 and was recently replaced with the county legislature’s approval for a total of about $9,700.
Legislators voted to allow the sheriff’s office to purchase from NITV Federal Services, LLC, the only manufacturer, and distributer of the lie detector, without soliciting alternate proposals at its June 18 business meeting.
Investigator Justin Birmingham talked about the way the voice stress analyzer works. There’s a control question, relevant questions and irrelevant questions, he said.
“For example if we’re talking about a larceny, a relevant question would be, ‘Did you steal the $1,000?’ That question would be mixed in with questions like, ‘Are we in Niagara County right now?’ and that would be an easy ‘yes’, ” he said.
The person being interviewed would also be asked to lie and all of those answers would be analyzed by the computer voice stress analyzer to come to the determination whether the individual was deceptive or non-deceptive.
The tool isn’t used every day, but it is used often, Birmingham said, and it’s used for a wide variety of investigations.