Haiti: Polygraphy or the Lie Detector, the HNP Equips Itself to Clean Up Its Ranks

PORT-AU-PRINCE.— In an explosive security context and facing growing challenges related to organized crime, the Haitian National Police (HNP) is undertaking a new internal reform: the progressive introduction of the polygraph as a tool for evaluating the reliability and integrity of its members. Already operational within certain units, this device falls directly under the office of the Director General, André Jonas Vladimir Paraison.

This initiative aims to strengthen the selection and control process within the police institution. According to information obtained, the polygraph test will now be used to thoroughly analyze candidates' profiles: motivations, backgrounds, sense of duty, and genuine adherence to the fundamental principles of public security. The stated objective is unambiguous: to filter out undesirable elements likely to compromise the HNP's mission.

At the National Police Academy (ENP), aspiring police officers have already undergone this procedure, which complements traditional recruitment criteria. This measure represents, according to the hierarchy, an essential step to ensure a more disciplined and reliable new generation within an institution regularly criticized for its internal shortcomings.

Within the active ranks, several specialized units have also taken the test, a decision confirmed by the Director General of the HNP. He believes that this approach will not only strengthen discipline but also create a permanent mechanism for cleaning up the workforce.

“This approach will allow us to distinguish good police officers from bad ones and, if necessary, to remove those who harm the essential mission of the HNP,” stated André Jonas Vladimir Paraison.

For the general directorate, the stakes go beyond a simple administrative procedure. It is a strategic undertaking aimed at restoring public trust, reducing internal corruption, and improving operational efficiency in a country where security remains a major challenge.

As armed violence continues to weaken the state and test the resilience of institutions, the introduction of the polygraph is part of an effort to build a more transparent, professional, and better-prepared police force to meet the expectations of a nation in search of stability.