In the specialised field of forensic psychophysiology, Justin Erasmus brings a particularly comprehensive background: 28 years of police investigative experience, formal academic credentials in both police administration and human resource management, and dedicated training in psychophysiological credibility assessment. His career trajectory—from South African Police Service captain to specialised private examiner—illustrates how law enforcement expertise can inform effective polygraph practice.
A Foundation in Criminal Investigation
Erasmus spent nearly three decades with the South African Police Service (SAPS), rising to the rank of Captain. This extended tenure provided extensive exposure to criminal investigations, interrogation techniques, behavioural analysis, and the practical realities of truth-seeking in high-stakes contexts.
Twenty-eight years in policing develops capabilities directly relevant to credibility assessment: understanding how deception manifests across different contexts, recognising evasive behaviour, conducting effective interviews, and maintaining composure in emotionally charged situations. This investigative foundation proved valuable preparation for his subsequent transition into forensic psychophysiology.
Following his retirement from SAPS in 2014, Erasmus worked in the private sector, applying his investigative knowledge to corporate investigations and loss prevention in the retail industry. This period provided additional perspective on non-criminal contexts where credibility assessment serves important functions—employee screening, internal theft investigations, and fraud detection.
Professional Training and Credentials
Erasmus completed his polygraph training at the American International Institute of Polygraph (AIIP), one of the profession’s most respected educational institutions. The AIIP’s curriculum emphasises scientific principles of psychophysiology, validated questioning techniques, and professional ethics—the foundation for competent practice.
This formal training transformed investigative experience into specialised psychophysiological expertise. Understanding physiological responses to psychological stress, interpreting cardiovascular and respiratory patterns, recognising countermeasures, and conducting examinations according to established protocols requires education that extends well beyond general investigative skills.
His qualification as a certified psychophysiologist reflects competence in analysing the relationship between psychological states and physiological responses during credibility assessment—the core scientific principle underlying polygraph examination.
Academic Foundation
Erasmus holds a three-year degree in Police Administration and a two-year National Diploma in Human Resource Management. This academic background complements his practical experience, providing theoretical grounding in organisational behaviour, personnel assessment, and investigative methodology.
The combination proves particularly valuable in his current practice. Human resource management training enhances understanding of employment-related examinations, whilst police administration education provides systematic frameworks for case management and procedural consistency.
Specialisation in Sensitive Private Cases
Erasmus has focused his practice primarily on private matters, particularly infidelity and relationship-related investigations. These cases present distinct challenges compared to criminal or employment contexts.
Clients seeking examinations regarding suspected infidelity are typically in emotional crisis. They’re making decisions about relationships, families, and futures based partly on examination outcomes. This context demands not only technical competence but also interpersonal sensitivity, clear communication, and scrupulous ethical conduct.
Effective practice in this domain requires several capabilities:
Empathy Without Bias: Understanding clients’ emotional states whilst maintaining examiner impartiality and objectivity in conducting and scoring examinations.
Clear Communication: Explaining the process, capabilities, and limitations of polygraph examination to clients who may have unrealistic expectations shaped by media portrayals.
Confidentiality: Maintaining strict privacy in matters that often involve deeply personal information and potentially volatile interpersonal dynamics.
Ethical Restraint: Declining cases where examination is inappropriate, recognising when relationship counselling would serve clients better than credibility testing, and avoiding exploitation of vulnerable individuals.
Erasmus’s approach emphasises these elements, recognising that technical accuracy alone is insufficient when working with clients facing relationship crises or personal accusations.
The Value of Law Enforcement Background
Erasmus’s police career provides distinct advantages in his current practice. Law enforcement work develops understanding of how people behave under stress, how deception manifests differently across individuals and contexts, and how to maintain professional detachment whilst handling emotionally fraught situations.
Additionally, 28 years of investigative work creates realistic understanding of polygraph’s capabilities and limitations. Experienced investigators know that credibility assessment is one tool among many, not a definitive answer to complex human questions. This perspective helps maintain appropriate humility about what examinations can and cannot accomplish.
His corporate investigation experience following police retirement adds further dimension, providing exposure to employment-related cases, internal investigations, and the distinct dynamics of organisational contexts compared to criminal matters.
Professional Standards and Ethical Practice
Erasmus’s training at an internationally recognised institution and his decades of investigative experience create clear understanding of professional responsibility. Police work instils appreciation for procedural accuracy, fair treatment, and the serious consequences of erroneous assessments—values that translate directly to ethical polygraph practice.
Working primarily with private clients in sensitive matters requires particular ethical vigilance. Unlike employment or criminal contexts where institutional oversight provides some accountability structure, private relationship examinations often involve vulnerable individuals with limited ability to evaluate examiner qualifications or appropriateness of testing.
Responsible practice in this context means providing realistic information about what polygraph can accomplish, maintaining strict confidentiality, ensuring voluntary participation, and declining cases where examination is unlikely to serve clients’ genuine interests.
International Perspective
Erasmus’s South African background brings international perspective to his practice. Polygraph regulation, professional standards, and cultural contexts vary significantly across jurisdictions. Practitioners working internationally must navigate these variations whilst maintaining commitment to core professional principles.
Training at an American institution (AIIP) whilst serving South African and potentially broader African markets requires adapting international standards to local contexts without compromising scientific rigour or ethical conduct. This cross-cultural dimension adds complexity to practice but also enriches professional perspective.
Contribution to the Field
Erasmus’s career contributes to the broader professionalisation of credibility assessment in several ways. His transition from respected law enforcement career to specialised polygraph practice demonstrates the value of investigative experience when combined with proper psychophysiological training.
His focus on private, sensitive cases helps meet genuine client needs in contexts where few qualified practitioners operate. Relationship disputes, infidelity allegations, and personal crises create demand for credible truth-verification services—demand that, if unmet by qualified professionals, may be exploited by inadequately trained operators.
By maintaining professional standards in this challenging practice area, Erasmus helps demonstrate that rigorous, ethically conducted polygraph services can serve private clients appropriately when delivered by properly trained examiners committed to responsible practice.
Conclusion: Experience, Training, and Specialisation
Justin Erasmus exemplifies how diverse professional experience—extended law enforcement service, corporate investigation work, formal academic credentials, and specialised psychophysiological training—can combine to create effective polygraph practice.
His focus on sensitive private cases addresses genuine needs whilst requiring the highest standards of ethical conduct and interpersonal skill. For clients navigating relationship crises or personal allegations, his combination of technical expertise and investigative experience offers both competence and understanding of the human contexts in which credibility questions arise.
In a profession where standards face ongoing pressure and public understanding remains limited, Erasmus represents the model of what qualified practice should entail: substantial training, relevant experience, appropriate specialisation, and commitment to serving clients ethically in their most vulnerable moments.