Please email us with questions.
Please email us with questions.
Employed by the Allentown Police
Department from 1990 - 2008:
Employed by the Allentown Police
Department from 1990 - 2008:
Thomas M. Fallstich,
Certified Polygraph Examiner
Thomas M. Fallstich,
Certified Polygraph Examiner
I am the sole owner and operator of Certified Polygraph Testing, Therefore, when you schedule your polygraph examination, you can be assured that the entire test will be prepared, administered, and evaluated, entirely by myself-- not an associate, apprentice, or affiliate Examiner.  Most of my professional experience was acquired from the 18+ years that I worked for the Allentown Police Department in, Allentown, PA. I began as a Police Cadet at 19 years-of-age, and retired  a Detective Sergeant at 38 years-of-age. A very basic timeline has been included below. I consider the experience that I have gained throughout this career to be invaluable. In addition to everyday working experience, I received additional training in lie-detection and inteviewing via specialized police training seminars. In 2002, I was sent through polygraph school by A.P.D., during my employment there.  

I received the entirety of my polygraph-certification training through law-enforcement, and the vast majority of my working experience has been from conducting law-enforcement polygraph testing. I have administered hundreds of polygraph examinations, and conducted thousands of interviews. I graduated from Polygraph School at the Fort Indiantown Gap National Guard Military Base, in 2002, and have been regularly conducting examinations since that time. The school was conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and its Director, Elmer Criswell. Only sworn Law Enforcement Officers may apply to the school, and they must pass a polygraph examination in order to be accepted. This school is licensed & approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. It is also fully accredited by the American Polygraph Association (APA), and is recognized by the American Association of Police Polygraphists (AAPP). Additionally, it exceeds all of the basic training-education standards of the American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM), and has been approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies  (CALEA).
I lived on the Military Base for the duration of the intensive 3-month long training program. I then returned to my duties on the Allentown Police Department, wherein I successfully completed the polygraph school's 10-month supervised internship protocol, and received my Polygraph Examiner Certification.

In addition to being well-trained by an accredited school, I believe that continuing education in the polygraph field is essential, in order to stay consistent, relevant, knowledgeable, informed, and current. Although continued training beyond initial schooling is not required to maintain my certifications, I make certain to attend no less than 40 hours of continued polygraph training each year. Within the past two years (2010-2011), for example, I traveled to Missouri for one week of training at the American Association of Police Polygraphists annual seminar in May, and then in October, I attended a four-day seminar held by the New Jersey Polygraphists, Inc. in Atlantic City, NJ.  Then a week-long Polygraph School focusing on Sex-Offender Polygraph Testing (Poughkeepsie, NY) in Summer, 2011. Even though many of the basic principles of polygraph science have remained  constant throughout the years, there have been, and continue to be, significant advances in testing techniques, standards, and methods, that have had productive and beneficial effects upon overall accuracy and reliability. (Not to mention the technological advances in the instrumentation itself). While I regard additional training as a necessity, not all Examiners share this view. To that point, I would simply submit this question: Would you enlist the services of any other professional specialist (investigator, psychiatrist, mechanic, surgeon, etc.) that you knew had little or no updated training beyond their entry-level requirements?

I am a member of the American Association of Police Polygraphists, (AAPP), and an Associate Menmber of the American Polygraph Association (AAP), having met or exceeded each of their stringent membership requirements. I am very proud to be affiliated with these organizations, as they adhere to the highest level of both professional and scientific standards, necessary for effective, accurate, and reliable polygraph examinations.  Members must be current or former Law Enforcement Polygraphists; have graduated from a recognized polygraph school; must demonstrate proficiency in the administration of polygraph examinations; and must attend at least one recognized polygraph seminar every two years.
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About Certified Polygraph
About Certified Polygraph
Photo coming soon.
Photo coming soon.
Photo coming soon.
1990-1995           Served as a sworn Police Cadet     
1995-2008           Served as a sworn Police Officer     
2002-2008           Assigned as a Detective in the Criminal     
2007                         Promoted to rank of Detective Sergeant
Investigations Division
Investigations Division
serving as a supervisor in the Criminal
2005-2008              Investigator for the Lehigh County
Homicide Task Force
August,                  Retired, in good standing, from the
2008                         Allentown Police Department
October,                Sub-contracted by the Allentown Police
2008                         Department to conduct background
investigations and to perform screening
polygraph examinations for Allentown
Police Officer Applicants
December,          
2008
2002                         Certified as a Polygraph Examiner    
Established Certified Polygraph Testing
Private Examiner Experience:
Private Examiner Experience:
The Examiner is the single most important component of successful polygraph examinations. Success in polygraph testing is measured by accuracy (correctly distinguishing truth from deception) and reliability (consistently producing accurate results). Thus, superior accuracy and reliability are the most notable distinctions of a qualified polygraph Examiner. Through experience and proficiency, any other obstacles can usually be minimized or eliminated, whereas with an unqualified or incompetent Examiner, accuracy is diminished, and reliability becomes questionable. Just as is the case with most any diagnostic instrument: in the hands of an incompetent operator, inferior results are produced, while an experienced professional yields high accuracy and reliability.

My training in practical lie-detection and effective interviewing began long before becoming a certified  polygraph Examiner. Ultimately, interviews are aimed at one fundamental goal: Obtaining a truthful account.  I have learned from every single interview that I have ever conducted or observed, therefore, successful interviewing is an ongoing process. While there are naturally some similarities, each interview is as unique and diverse as the situations and individuals concerned. When coupled with expertly trained polygraph experience, my interview skill has proven to be an invaluable asset. 

Immediately following my retirement from the Allentown Police Department, I established Certified Polygraph Testing, LLC, which allowed me to continue to conduct polygraph testing, uninterrupted by the impact of a major career change. In other words, I have continually and consistently conducted the same volume of polygraph tests since 2002, without any significant "downtime." This is important because, just as in any professional service, an extended interruption of practice often results in diminished quality and effectiveness.

The following list highlights some of the polygraph services that I have provided since Certified Polygraph Testing was established. Specifics and names have been omitted to protect confidentiality:
Private Sector:
          pre-employment screening polygraph examinations
Government and Law Enforcement Agencies:
Businesses:
     I have resolved various internal theft issues by:
The experience that I have amassed/acquired over the years is difficult to reduce to a written description. Throughout my 20+ years in law-enforcement, I have come to truly appreciate what can be accomplished through polygraph. I have personally been involved in numerous cases (including homicides, assaults, child abuse, molestations, and rapes) that would absolutely never have been solved, without the use of polygraph. In some cases, the true nature and/or extent of the crime itself was not known, until the employment of polygraph testing.

I am very happy to provide any documentation regarding my credentials to clients or potential clients, upon request.
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