 PRINT VERSION
 EMAIL ARTICLE
Article Posted: 09/20/2004 8:39:55 AM
UNK to Receive $1 Million for Polygraph and Transportation Research
KEARNEY, NE—In Kearney, Nebraska today Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson announced that the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) will receive one million federal research dollars to study two important issues.
The first project is to improve the reliability of polygraph technology in an effort to make it more useful in law enforcement and national security settings. Approximately half a million dollars has been dedicated to this polygraph research venture.
UNK researchers will investigate the influence of polygraph testing on false confessions and the use of lie detectors in the evaluation and monitoring of post conviction behavior.
Development of this project is in direct response to recommendations made by the National Research Council and the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute.
Another $500,000 will be given to UNK to study agricultural transportation issues.
“I worked hard to get this through because as a former Governor and current Senator who travels through Nebraska extensively I have seen the problem first hand,” said Senator Nelson. “As farm machinery has increased in size and speed, road size has not always kept up and it can create dangerous situations not only for producers but for others who share the road with them as well as towns they drive through.”
The University of Nebraska at Kearney will conduct the pilot project bringing together law enforcement and emergency medical responders to determine training needs, commercial driver preparation, emergency response, fleet development and motor vehicle enforcement.
“The project also involves Homeland Security issues,” said Nelson. “With the increased use of farm chemicals comes an increased danger including more accidental spills that can affect nearby cities, the threat of terrorists targeting these chemicals, and even the theft of tanks of anhydrous ammonia by meth makers.”
Joining Senator Nelson in announcing the pilot projects at the Nebraska Safety Center in Kearney were Kathy Smith, Vice Chancellor for University Relations at UNK, Sherry Morrow who assisted with these requests, and a number of first responders.
|
