Tell-tale VOICE tells all

By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
F YOU AGREE TO A VOICE stress test at the Youngstown Police Department, think of the microphone lanyard around your neck as Wonder Woman's "golden lasso of truth."
For those who didn't read Wonder Woman's adventures in DC Comics or watch the TV show, once she wrapped someone in the rope, they had to be honest.
Sold only to law enforcement, the Computer Voice Stress Analyzer is 100 percent accurate in detecting deception if proper interview techniques are used, said Capt. Martin F. Kane, Internal Affairs Division commander. The analyzer consists of a laptop computer and small microphone and uses software developed by the National Institute of Truth Verification in Florida.
The microphone hangs around the subject's neck on a lanyard to record yes or no answers.
Kane said the voice-activated computer doesn't depend on the English language and, unlike polygraphs, can be used even if the person being tested is high on drugs or alcohol or has a physical condition that causes shaking, such as Parkinson's disease.
The test can also be given to young children, as long as they know right from wrong. Kane said it's especially helpful in child sexual abuse cases.
Detects changes
The computer measures changes in micro tremors -- tiny frequency modulations -- in the voice. Like a heartbeat, you can't control micro tremors in the voice, Kane said.
The results are displayed in a block graph for analysis, one graph for each answer. Truthful answers resemble a Christmas tree.
YPD uses the voice stress analyzer for pre-employment exams for police and 911 personnel. It's also used to help detectives solve crimes.
"Admissions and confessions -- that's what it's all about," Kane said.
Kane recalled the case of a Youngstown State University student who claimed that he was "drugged and taken advantage of" by two female students. The young women agreed to take the voice stress test and their answers showed that the sexual encounter had been consensual.
Next came an opportunity for the male student to take the test. He declined and admitted that he lied, Kane said.
Detective Sgt. Charles Guzzy, also assigned to IAD, recalled a demonstration of the technology by an instructor who made an audiotape of President Clinton's TV denial of having sex with "that woman, Miss Lewinsky."
The test results showed Clinton's deception, Guzzy said.
The system, which costs about $10,000, represents a big savings in the long run because YPD used to pay $300 to $500 for each polygraph test, Kane said.
Job applicants
Guzzy said YPD is currently testing applicants for the 911 center and will, by the end of the year or early January, begin testing police officer hopefuls. Questions are geared to specific positions.
Applicants are asked to lie on two questions agreed to beforehand -- such as the color of the walls in the room and "Are you sitting down?" -- to give the operator a base of comparison, Kane said.
If the applicant and operator agree the walls are beige, the question once the test begins is "Are the walls beige?" and the answer is "No."
A typical test involves roughly 15 questions and lasts about 10 minutes. Pre- and post-test interviews total about three hours, Guzzy said.
Kane and Guzzy said some questions delve into significant or recent drug use and theft. Applicants aren't disqualified for admitting they smoked marijuana in college or stole pens from a previous employer.
"We're not looking for perfect people," Kane said.
Guzzy said the voice computer is used to eliminate suspects, provide leads, solve crimes and determine a person's fitness to be hired.
Kane and Guzzy trade off reading the chart graphs, a process they term "cold call." If Kane administers the test, Guzzy analyzes the charts and vice versa.
In other area departments
Police departments in Boardman and Austintown also have their own voice stress analyzers.
"It is an interesting device for pre-employment and criminal investigations," said Austintown Police Chief Gordon Ellis. "It has a high level of accuracy and is less intrusive than a polygraph."
Ellis said the technology has a solid track record.
Boardman Police Chief Jeff Patterson said when there's a lack of verification for a witness's version of events, the voice stress analyzer gives an added degree of confidence in determining their truthfulness.
He also finds the test beneficial for questioning suspects.
Help them focus
"The results can help you focus on them or look for someone else," Patterson said. "It's as important to clear someone as to implicate them."
The device contributes to the successful conclusion of investigations, whether criminal or background, the chief said.
Patterson said he always cautions that the test isn't as simple as pressing the F10 key on a computer and seeing "murderer" flash on the screen.
meade@vindy.com