DIGITAL VOICE STRESS ANALYZER (DVSA)

BAKER GROUP - NEWS

DVSA™© software can be installed on any Microsoft® O/S computer.  Microsoft® XP is recommended.   Many law enforcement users install DVSA™© in the widely acclaimed Toughbook™ for field use.    

When installed in the Sony Vaio™ it became the world’s first Microsoft® O/S full-featured Palmheld VSA /  Instant Voice Spectrograph.

Baker-DVSA is now in use by many Illinois police departments.

"Some Police Now Prefer Newer Lie-Detection System"
Associated Press (05/17/05); Smith, Allison L.

Illinois law enforcement are adopting alternative lie-detection systems that are more portable and less expensive than polygraph tests, after the state General Assembly approved voice-stress analysis for use last year. Illinois was one of the few remaining states which did not approve the 30-year-old technology, which some potentially biased experts say is inferior to polygraphs because it only accounts for one physiological factor. Neither polygraphs or voice-stress analysis are allowed as evidence in Illinois courtrooms, but police say the voice-stress analysis technology is especially useful for directing investigations because it can be run from a laptop computer. Specially trained polygraphers are difficult to come by and can take up to a month to schedule, says Lake in the Hills police Sgt. David Brey. With voice-stress analysis, trained officers can immediately conduct lie-detection tests to rule out suspects. Two companies supply Illinois police departments with the technology and training, and several agencies spent around $1,200 with The Baker Group for 40 hours of classroom study and 10 hours of home study per officer. State law requires officers to be retrained in the technology every year. http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/local/11674002.htm

As seen in "Law Enforcement and Corrections News Summary" a publication of the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center.  The National Institute of Justice is the research and development agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. NLECTC is a program of NIJ's Office of Science and Technology. The NLECTC system's regional centers and specialty offices work directly with Federal, State, and local government agencies; community leaders; and scientists to foster technological innovations that result in new products, services, systems, and strategies for the Nation's criminal justice professionals.

Save thousands with Baker-DVSA

During a meeting of the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, VSA Informational Meeting, and according to the official board minutes, “Capt.” Hughes, Executive Director, NITV, at the time was asked “if there was a difference in the technology used by NITV and The Baker Group?” Hughes responded…”the equipment is basically the same the software is slightly different.” Sgt. Roth, …asked if there were major differences in the basic training of an examiner by various companies (Baker Group and NITV.). “NITV (Hughes) responded that the “base standards are the same, … and language or terms vary slightly.”

DVSA APPROVED FOR USE BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN ILLINOIS

The Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) approved The Baker Group’s syllabus for Voice Stress Analysis Certified Law Enforcement Examiner Course on September 1, 2004. The BakerDVSA was the first of two courses certified. The Illinois Legislature approved VSA systems only if training was certified by ILETSB.

We have made arrangements to continue our “DVSA Private Grant” program for Illinois law enforcement agencies. This grant provides the Baker Digital Voice Stress Analysis (DVSA) software and user license without cost. The only costs associated with our system is $1250 for training of each examiner and $300 for annual re-certification training.

THE TRUTH ABOUT

“LIE DETECTION EXAMINATIONS”

You have probably heard many stories about “lie detectors”.  The truth is that a “lie detector” has never been invented!

No instrument or machine detects lies.  No machine, instrument, computer, or software program  today is capable of distinguishing truth from deception.

Back in the 1930’s, the early days of the polygraph, the news media coined the phrase “lie detector”.  The polygraph examiners liked it and exploited it.  They liked to call that crude instrument a “lie detector” and many still do.  But, the polygraph has never detected a single lie. 

Since 1927, there has not been a significant change in the polygraph.  There have been improvements such as changing from mechanical instrumentation to electronic, and recently from electronic to digital.  Many mechanical devices are still in use today.  The polygraph is an instrument that detects, measures, and graphically displays certain physiological reactions to psychological stimuli.  Those reactions are from stress. 

What is STRESS?  --  Stress is any action or situation that places special physical or psychological demands upon a person.  Anything that upsets his individual equilibrium. 

Stress, induced by fear, guilt, anxiety or conflict facilitates detection of attempted deception.  Detection of attempted deception, as distinguishedfrom mere identification of stress, is a decision based upon a human analytical process which equates attempted deception to displayed stress by the control of variables.  This is normally accomplished by specific test construction or ‘test protocol’ together with certain interview techniques. 

That is what “lie detection” is, regardless of the instrument utilized.  So it is the trained examiner who attempts to determine what is truthful and what is not truthful. 

No instrument, including the POLYGRAPH, DVSA, CVSA,  Lantern VSA,   PSE,  Truster, or any other so called “lie detector” actually  detects lies.

The polygraph procedure itself poses a number of problems which have never been overcome.  The attaching of sensors, a sometimes painful blood pressure cuff and bellows across the chest and stomach, together with a severe testing atmosphere, create a false psychological set which frequently is greater than that which the examiner is attempting to evaluate.  Hence some “inconclusive” or erroneous decisions by the examiner. 

Expert medical testimony has revealed there are certain persons who should not undergo a forensic polygraph examination.  Those are persons who have: excessive fatigue, prolonged interrogation, physical abuse, sub-shock or adrenal exhaustion, excessively high or low blood pressure, heart disease, respiratory disorders, psychoses or evidence of drugs, especially tranquilizers or stimulants. 

For many years polygraph examiners inquired into sexual activities or other personal matter in an effort to create a stimulus above the false psychological set.  Some polygraph examiners still do.  Many consider the polygraph procedure to be abusive or degrading or providing insufficient accuracy of interpretation. 

What is VOICE STRESS ANALYSIS?  --   Introduced in 1970 in an analog mode and constantly improved and upgraded to its current digital software driven notebook computer such as the DVSA requires no attached sensors and no severe testing atmosphere or abusive questioning. 

Real time examinations or tape recordings are made of the conversation or tests and then computer processed utilizing up to 96 displays of each utterance for display on the notebook screen or printed for future analysis.  This permits extraordinary in-depth analysis of voice stress patterns. 

Because VSA procedure displays and measures functions of both the autonomic and the central nervous systems, it is capable of displaying both absolute stress at the instant of utterance, but also displays relative stress of utterance comparisons.  (This has recently been validated by the Air Force Rome Labs and their Law Enforcement Analysis Facility, the National Law Enforcement Technology Center of the NIJ.)  This permits the analysis of narrative or discussions in addition to one word answers such as “yes” and “no”.  Polygraph instruments are limited to “yes” and “no” answers only and are limited to relative stress analysis. 

Nervousness and drugs have little effect on VSA results.  Without the attached sensors, there is relatively little falsely induced stress with VSA.  Therefore, there are relatively few Inconclusive or erroneous evaluations by a well-trained VSA examiner. 

It takes expert training and experience with continuing study to make a competent VSA examiner. 

“The truth cannot be altered, only revealed”, C.R. McQuiston, Col, U.S. Army, Ret., Developer of first VSA, the Psychological Stress Evaluator.   

EXPORT RESTRICTIONS

The US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry & Security has classified DVSA©™ systems as “Restricted Crime Control Technology”.  All DVSA©™ exports require an Export License issued by the US Department of Commerce / Bureau of Industry & Security.  We are told that only 3% of all technology is so restricted.  . 

Our major competitor was recently found to have exported VSA systems and laptop computers to several foreign countries without an export license resulting in a fine of $77,000.00.  We understand that the DoC investigation continues regarding additional illegal VSA exports.    

The Baker Group continues to cooperate with the US DoC to ensure that our  sophisticated technology software does not fall into the hands of criminals, terrorists or unfriendly foreign governments.

NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS SELECTS BAKER-DVSA©™

Baker Group has been awarded a contract to supply 14 DVSA™ systems including Dell Laptop computers and training for 14 examiners to the North Carolina Department of Corrections – Division of Prisons. NC DoC conducted an exhaustive due diligence inquiry of vendors prior to awarding the contract. 

Our major competitor filed a protest claiming that our DVSA™ was not “equivalent to” their product.  The protest was evaluated by the State of North Carolina and denied.  We were able to demonstrate that Baker-DVSA™ is not only “equivalent” but is in fact superior in features and benefits. Some of our DVSA™ features include our Voice Spectrograph mode, scoring algorithm technology and “Plus, Minus, Zero” chart analysis method.  The DVSA™ displays 12 indicators of stress compared to one in competitors’ systems.

The original NC DoC Purchase Order was for 5 DVSA™ systems and training for 9 examiners.  We were then asked to provide nine additional systems and training for five more examiners. NC DoC obtained a Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) federal grant for the Baker-DVSA™ purchase.