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California Association of Polygraph Examiners

Fall Conference

  • 10/08/2021
  • 8:00 AM
  • 10/09/2021
  • 5:00 PM
  • The Event Venue

Registration

  • Special price for members

Registration is closed

Training

CAPE is excited to share information about our training events and other events of interest to our members.

CAPE Fall Seminar and Business Meeting

Date: October 8 - 9, 2021

The CAPE Fall Seminar and Business Meeting will be held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton San Diego – La Jolla in San Diego, CA.

Training

CAPE is excited to share information about our training events and other events of interest to our members.

CAPE Fall Seminar and Business Meeting

Date: October 8 - 9, 2021

The CAPE Fall Seminar and Business Meeting will be held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton San Diego – La Jolla in San Diego, CA.

Friday October 8

0700 – 0800: Registration

0800 – 0830: Opening Remarks

0830 – 1200: Practical Polygraph by Raymond Nelson

1200 – 1300: Lunch (on your own)

1300 – 1700: Interrogations by John Tefft

1500 – 1930: Social Reception at Indulge East Patio

Saturday October 9

0730 – 0800: Registration

0800 – 1200: Sadistic Child Molesters by Tracy Alvord

1200 – 1300: Lunch at Indulge East Patio

1300 – 1500: TBA

1500 – 1700: Business Meeting

Speakers

Raymond Nelson

Raymond Nelson is a psychotherapist, polygraph examiner, and behavior scientist currently working as a polygraph researcher, trainer, and field examiner. Mr. Nelson is internationally known in the industry today. In addition to his expertise as a statistician and researcher, he is a National Certified Counselor (NCC), with expertise in mental health counseling and psychotherapy with convicted sex offenders, victims of sexual abuse, incestuous families, in addition to family therapy, attachment and rage-filled children and adolescents, violence, severe neglect, abandonment, trauma disorders, developmental disorders, neurologically based learning disorders, personality disorders, and chronic mental illness – having worked in intensive residential and outpatient and experiential treatment programs for many years prior to becoming involved with the polygraph profession in 2000. Mr. Nelson is a past Vice President of the Colorado Association of Polygraph Examiners, and past President of the American Polygraph Association (APA) - currently serving as an elected member of the APA Board of Directors.

Mr. Nelson has expertise in all aspects of psychometric testing, psycho-diagnostics, forensics and research. As a researcher in the polygraph profession, Mr. Nelson has published upward of 150 scientific studies and instructional articles on all aspects of the polygraph test, including: interviewing, test target selection, test question formulation, test formats, manual test data analysis, automated computer algorithms, faking/countermeasures, the psychological and physiological basis for polygraph testing, scientific testing in general, use of automated analytic models, polygraph validity and reliability, suitability for polygraph testing, polygraph recording sensors, digital signal processing, and polygraph instrumentation, and polygraph field practices.

Mr. Nelson has been instrumental in polygraph policy development at the local, state and national levels including authoring and lobbying for polygraph policies for sex offender testing, suitability for polygraph testing, public safety applicant testing, polygraph records management, domestic violence, domestic fidelity, and polygraph quality control. Mr. Nelson's other activities include policy development for psychometric assessment and risk assessment for adults and adolescents who are convicted of sexual offenses.

Mr. Nelson is a Research Specialist with Lafayette Instrument Company, a global leader in developing and manufacturing polygraph instrumentation. Mr. Nelson is also the curriculum director for the International Polygraph Studies Center (IPSC), an APA accredited polygraph training program that operates in Mexico City and provides training to government agencies and private security agencies in several countries. Mr. Nelson was the principal investigator for the 2011 Meta-analytic Survey of Validated Polygraph Techniques published by the American Polygraph Association and is the author of a 2015 publication on the scientific basis for polygraph testing.

Mr. Nelson is a member of the American Polygraph Association, the American Association of Police Polygraphists, the National Polygraph Association, the International Association of Professional Polygraphists. Mr. Nelson is also a member of the American Statistics Association and an associate of the American Academy of Forensic Science. Mr. Nelson is the recipient of several awards, including the prestigious Cleve Backster Award and Leonard Keeler Award from the American Polygraph Association, in addition to the prestigious Max Wastl Award President's Award for Distinguished Service from the American Association of Police Polygraphists.

John Tefft

John Tefft is retired from San Diego Police Department after 34 years of service. He was in uniform patrol for 12 years and 22 years as a detective, the last 14 years in Homicide. During his tenure in Homicide, he was awarded Detective of the Year in 1997 by the California Homicide Investigators Association for solving a four-year-old murder of a transient. He was awarded Law Enforcement Officer of the Year in 2008 by the San Diego Deputy District Attorneys Association for solving a 9-year-old robbery homicide of a grocery store owner.

John taught Interview and Interrogation at the following: Miramar College Regional Police Academy from 1996 to 2011; Grossmont College Corrections Academy from 2002-2013; San Diego Police Department to teach new detectives in 2017 and 2021; and he taught at California Narcotic Officers Association training seminars from 2007-2010. In addition, he has been a guest speaker to the United States Marine Corps Military Police, Southwestern College and the Los Angeles County Probation Department.

After retirement, John attended Backster Polygraph school in San Diego. In 2010 he opened his own business, Paladin Polygraph. John has testified as an expert on polygraph in the United States Marine Corps Board of Inquiry and the United States District Court. He is a member in good standing with CAPE, APA and AAPP. He served as a Director, Vice President, President and Past President of CAPE.

Tracy Alvord

Tracy Alvord has a Bachelor of Arts degree is Clinical Psychology and a Master of Science Degree in Community Counseling. She has specialized in the assessment and treatment of sex offenders since 1994. She is currently the Director for the Sexual Offender Registration Review Board, an agency that determines the risk a convicted sex offender poses to the community. She has a private practice working with sex offenders and has utilized polygraph testing with her clients since 1996. She contracted with the Georgia Department of Corrections from 1997-2007 working with incarcerated violent sexual offenders. Ms. Alvord has taught the Psychology of Polygraph and Post-Conviction Sex Offender Testing since 2003. She has been an expert witness in criminal trials, judicial review hearings, and revocation hearings. She has provided trainings for various polygraph associations, the Georgia Sheriff's Association, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Prosecuting Attorney's Council, and the Georgia Department of Community Supervision.

Lodging

Embassy Suites by Hilton San Diego – La Jolla

4550 La Jolla Village Drive

San Diego, California 92122

Phone: (858) 453-0400

Discounted room rate of $173 USD/night (plus applicable taxes and charges). There are limited rooms available at this rate. Discounted parking available at $15.00 USD/day for all registered attendees.

Speakers

Raymond Nelson
Raymond Nelson is a psychotherapist, polygraph examiner, and behavior scientist currently working as a polygraph researcher, trainer, and field examiner. Mr. Nelson is internationally known in the industry today. In addition to his expertise as a statistician and researcher, he is a National Certified Counselor (NCC), with expertise in mental health counseling and psychotherapy with convicted sex offenders, victims of sexual abuse, incestuous families, in addition to family therapy, attachment and rage-filled children and adolescents, violence, severe neglect, abandonment, trauma disorders, developmental disorders, neurologically based learning disorders, personality disorders, and chronic mental illness – having worked in intensive residential and outpatient and experiential treatment programs for many years prior to becoming involved with the polygraph profession in 2000. Mr. Nelson is a past Vice President of the Colorado Association of Polygraph Examiners, and past President of the American Polygraph Association (APA) - currently serving as an elected member of the APA Board of Directors.

Mr. Nelson has expertise in all aspects of psychometric testing, psycho-diagnostics, forensics and research. As a researcher in the polygraph profession, Mr. Nelson has published upward of 150 scientific studies and instructional articles on all aspects of the polygraph test, including: interviewing, test target selection, test question formulation, test formats, manual test data analysis, automated computer algorithms, faking/countermeasures, the psychological and physiological basis for polygraph testing, scientific testing in general, use of automated analytic models, polygraph validity and reliability, suitability for polygraph testing, polygraph recording sensors, digital signal processing, and polygraph instrumentation, and polygraph field practices.

Mr. Nelson has been instrumental in polygraph policy development at the local, state and national levels including authoring and lobbying for polygraph policies for sex offender testing, suitability for polygraph testing, public safety applicant testing, polygraph records management, domestic violence, domestic fidelity, and polygraph quality control. Mr. Nelson's other activities include policy development for psychometric assessment and risk assessment for adults and adolescents who are convicted of sexual offenses.

Mr. Nelson is a Research Specialist with Lafayette Instrument Company, a global leader in developing and manufacturing polygraph instrumentation. Mr. Nelson is also the curriculum director for the International Polygraph Studies Center (IPSC), an APA accredited polygraph training program that operates in Mexico City and provides training to government agencies and private security agencies in several countries. Mr. Nelson was the principal investigator for the 2011 Meta-analytic Survey of Validated Polygraph Techniques published by the American Polygraph Association and is the author of a 2015 publication on the scientific basis for polygraph testing.

Mr. Nelson is a member of the American Polygraph Association, the American Association of Police Polygraphists, the National Polygraph Association, the International Association of Professional Polygraphists. Mr. Nelson is also a member of the American Statistics Association and an associate of the American Academy of Forensic Science. Mr. Nelson is the recipient of several awards, including the prestigious Cleve Backster Award and Leonard Keeler Award from the American Polygraph Association, in addition to the prestigious Max Wastl Award President's Award for Distinguished Service from the American Association of Police Polygraphists.

John Tefft
John Tefft is retired from San Diego Police Department after 34 years of service. He was in uniform patrol for 12 years and 22 years as a detective, the last 14 years in Homicide. During his tenure in Homicide, he was awarded Detective of the Year in 1997 by the California Homicide Investigators Association for solving a four-year-old murder of a transient. He was awarded Law Enforcement Officer of the Year in 2008 by the San Diego Deputy District Attorneys Association for solving a 9-year-old robbery homicide of a grocery store owner.

John taught Interview and Interrogation at the following: Miramar College Regional Police Academy from 1996 to 2011; Grossmont College Corrections Academy from 2002-2013; San Diego Police Department to teach new detectives in 2017 and 2021; and he taught at California Narcotic Officers Association training seminars from 2007-2010. In addition, he has been a guest speaker to the United States Marine Corps Military Police, Southwestern College and the Los Angeles County Probation Department.

After retirement, John attended Backster Polygraph school in San Diego. In 2010 he opened his own business, Paladin Polygraph. John has testified as an expert on polygraph in the United States Marine Corps Board of Inquiry and the United States District Court. He is a member in good standing with CAPE, APA and AAPP. He served as a Director, Vice President, President and Past President of CAPE.

Tracy Alvord
Tracy Alvord has a Bachelor of Arts degree is Clinical Psychology and a Master of Science Degree in Community Counseling. She has specialized in the assessment and treatment of sex offenders since 1994. She is currently the Director for the Sexual Offender Registration Review Board, an agency that determines the risk a convicted sex offender poses to the community. She has a private practice working with sex offenders and has utilized polygraph testing with her clients since 1996. She contracted with the Georgia Department of Corrections from 1997-2007 working with incarcerated violent sexual offenders. Ms. Alvord has taught the Psychology of Polygraph and Post-Conviction Sex Offender Testing since 2003. She has been an expert witness in criminal trials, judicial review hearings, and revocation hearings. She has provided trainings for various polygraph associations, the Georgia Sheriff's Association, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Prosecuting Attorney's Council, and the Georgia Department of Community Supervision.

Lodging

Embassy Suites by Hilton San Diego – La Jolla
4550 La Jolla Village Drive
San Diego, California 92122
Phone: (858) 453-0400

Discounted room rate of $173 USD/night (plus applicable taxes and charges). There are limited rooms available at this rate. Discounted parking available at $15.00 USD/day for all registered attendees.

Book my hotel reservation online


California Association of polygraph examiners

Contact our Secretary for more information about CAPE.

Debbie Peecook
Email: capecorrespondingsecretary@gmail.com

Phone: (707) 337-6061

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