The unit was established in 1980, when the first officer attended the Canadian Police College's Polygraph School.  Since that time, six officers have been trained and certified as forensic polygraphists.  The unit is staffed by one Detective Sergeant, who regularly administers examinations to persons who become involved in criminal investigations.

Using the polygraph instrument, (commonly referred to as the "lie detector"), the Detective Sergeant evaluates the psycho-physiological responses of the subject, to determine whether the person is telling the truth during the examination.

The instrument itself originally appeared to be a brief case style unit, with chart paper and an ink pen operation.  With the advances in technology, a computerized model is now in use by most police services, and facilitates ease of operation and portability.

The officer assigned to this unit, due to their specialized education, is a valuable resource not only to the Police Service for in-house training, but also to the community, in presenting and demonstrating the application of the polygraph process.

A Laptop Computer used to administer Polygraph tests

NRPS Polygraphist, Detective Sergeant Paul Granton, demonstrates a polygraph examination on the Forensic Services Unit Clerk