Exploring online options to build your skills? The PEAK CATC 2026 catalog details polygraph courses for those pursuing a career administering a lie detector test.
PEAK Credibility Assessment Training Center (PEAK CATC) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lafayette Instrument Company and one of the premier APA-accredited polygraph training programs in the United States. With campuses in Lakeland, Florida and Boise, Idaho, plus a comprehensive suite of self-paced online courses, PEAK provides polygraph examiners worldwide with accessible continuing education approved by both the APA and AAPP.
TL;DR — The Short Version
- PEAK CATC offers 11 self-paced online polygraph continuing education courses ranging from 8 to 40 CEH, all approved by the APA and AAPP.
- The training center operates from two campuses — Lakeland, Florida and Boise, Idaho — with the first west coast basic course launching September 14, 2026.
- PEAK is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lafayette Instrument Company with full APA accreditation and recognition from AAPP, NPA, and 12+ state associations.
- Key instructors include APA Chairman of the Board Chip Morgan, award-winning founder Ben Blalock, PEAK East Director Sandy Dunn, and polygraph researcher Mark Handler.
Who This Guide Is For
- Licensed polygraph examiners seeking APA-approved continuing education hours
- Law enforcement professionals looking to enter the polygraph field
- PCSOT practitioners needing specialized sex offender testing certification
- Private polygraph examiners maintaining state licensure requirements
- Federal and government agency examiners staying current with best practices
- International polygraph professionals seeking U.S.-accredited training
About PEAK Credibility Assessment Training Center
History and Mission
PEAK Credibility Assessment Training Center was founded in 2016 when Director Ben Blalock teamed with Lafayette Instrument Company to launch the school Verified Morgan Polygraph — About: Boise Police Department
Confirms Chip Morgan was criminal investigator/detective at Boise Police Department 1975-2006.
Chip served as the 2024-2025 President of the American Polygraph Association and is the current 2025-2026 APA Chairman of the Board Verified Morgan Polygraph — About: Boise Police Department
Confirms Chip Morgan was criminal investigator/detective at Boise Police Department 1975-2006. Chip holds multiple lifetime achievement awards from the NPA, AAPP, and APA [37]Verified AAPP — Chip Morgan Teaching Bio and CV
Confirms Chip Morgan's Lifetime Achievement Award from NPA, Max Wastl Award from AAPP, Cleve Backster Award from APA, and worldwide teaching experience.
Can I use PEAK online courses for state licensing CEH requirements?
PEAK's online courses are approved by both the APA and AAPP for continuing education hours [12]Verified PEAK CATC — Home Page / Online Courses
Confirms online courses are APA and AAPP approved, available anytime, and have helped hundreds of individuals. PEAK meets and exceeds ASTM Standards and has completed approval processes for Texas TDLR, Virginia DPOR, North Carolina PPS, and the Alabama Polygraph Examiners' Board. However, specific state requirements vary, so examiners should verify with their state licensing board that PEAK's courses satisfy their jurisdiction's requirements.
Does PEAK offer PCSOT certification training?
Yes, PEAK offers a 40 CEH in-person PCSOT Course that prepares students to successfully complete the End of Course Written Examination approved by the APA [31]Verified PEAK CATC — Continuing Education Courses: PCSOT
Confirms PCSOT Course is 40 CEH with APA examination, covering all PCSOT exam types and containment approach. The curriculum covers various PCSOT examination types, the containment approach, victimology, deviant behavior, APA model PCSOT policy, and proper test question construction [31]Verified PEAK CATC — Continuing Education Courses: PCSOT
Confirms PCSOT Course is 40 CEH with APA examination, covering all PCSOT exam types and containment approach. PEAK also offers a 16 CEH online PCSOT Sexual Deviancy course that can be applied toward PCSOT continuing education [16]Verified PEAK CATC — Online Courses: PCSOT Sexual Deviancy
Confirms PCSOT Sexual Deviancy course covers psychological and clinical aspects and can be used for PCSOT CEHs.
What is the relationship between PEAK and Lafayette Instrument Company?
PEAK CATC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lafayette Instrument Company [1]Verified PEAK CATC — About Page
Confirms PEAK is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lafayette Instrument Company, founded by Ben Blalock, with campus details and training statistics, the world's leading manufacturer of polygraph instrumentation. Lafayette Instrument was established in 1947 and founded PEAK in 2016 to teach practitioners scientifically validated credibility assessment techniques. This relationship gives PEAK students direct access to the latest polygraph instrumentation and technology during training.
Sources & References
Confirms PEAK is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lafayette Instrument Company, founded by Ben Blalock, with campus details and training statistics
Confirms PEAK was founded in 2016 in Cape Coral, FL with the first basic course on April 25, 2016, under Director Ben Blalock
Confirms Lafayette Instrument has over 75 years of experience as the world's leading manufacturer of polygraph instrumentation
Confirms Blalock began his career in 2005, published first article in 2008, published over 30 articles, directed IAP in 2009, APS 2011-2016
Confirms PEAK's mission is to provide highest quality credibility assessment training and consulting services
Confirms immersive learning approach, science-based instruction, and 400-hour minimum basic course curriculum
Confirms 2025 move to Lakeland, FL under Sandy Dunn and expansion to Boise, ID under Chip Morgan
Confirms Lakeland, FL address: 1925 Bartow Road, Suite 200, Lakeland, FL 33801
Confirms Lakeland location between Tampa and Orlando with access to Interstate 4
Confirms Boise campus address at 6126 W. State Street, Suite 208, Boise, ID 83703 and Backster School acquisition
Confirms first west coast course September 14 - November 20, 2026 directed by Chip Morgan
Confirms online courses are APA and AAPP approved, available anytime, and have helped hundreds of individuals
Confirms APA requirement for minimum 30 continuing education hours every two years for practicing examiners
Confirms PEAK Interviewing course covers nonconfrontational techniques, rapport building, cognitive interviewing, and requires no polygraph training
Confirms Advanced ESS-M and Algorithms course presented by Ray Nelson, consisting of in-class video content
Confirms PCSOT Sexual Deviancy course covers psychological and clinical aspects and can be used for PCSOT CEHs
Confirms Utah CQT course covers background, research, and procedural considerations for the 3 RQ version
Confirms Plethysmograph course covers history, research, scoring, and Pulse Amplitude Tool
Confirms DLC questions have been used in field polygraph examinations for decades with numerous effectiveness studies
Confirms basic course curriculum covers cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous systems, pharmacology, and all APA-required topics
Confirms Persuasive Interviewing course covers ethical interviewing, rapport building, RPM approach, and false confession risk reduction
Confirms Pre-employment course introduces three-tier risk-banded framework as alternative to pass/fail model
Confirms course addresses testing sworn officers, Internal Affairs investigations, and examiner independence
Confirms 400-hour APA-accredited basic course with emphasis on practice examinations and immersive learning
Confirms curriculum includes validated scoring systems, decision rules, countermeasures, and data interpretation
Confirms students complete approximately 80 mock examinations and reports high satisfaction with training quality
Confirms PEAK students complete more practice examinations than any other polygraph training program
Confirms next Lakeland course is May 11 - July 17, 2026
Confirms admission requirements including high school diploma, good reputation, and licensure eligibility
Confirms Advanced Examiners Course covers validated techniques, reducing inconclusives, and flexible curriculum
Confirms PCSOT Course is 40 CEH with APA examination, covering all PCSOT exam types and containment approach
Confirms Sandy Dunn spent four years as school coordinator, designed online courses, is President of Florida Polygraph Association
Confirms Sandy Dunn retired from Polk County Sheriff's Office after 30 years, 25 years law enforcement, expert witness experience
Confirms Chip Morgan's 35 years law enforcement, 2024-2025 APA President, 2025-2026 Chairman of the Board, Backster School graduate, AAPP certification
Confirms Chip Morgan's Lifetime Achievement Award from NPA, Max Wastl Award from AAPP, Cleve Backster Award from APA, and worldwide teaching experience
Confirms Ben Blalock founded PEAK and is described as 'a giant in the polygraph profession specializing in polygraph training'
Confirms Blalock's co-authored publications on DLC questions, ESS-M scoring, and polygraph test formats with Nelson and Handler
Confirms Blalock's 2017 John E. Reid Award, 2018 Holly S. Canty Memorial Award, 2020 AAPP Region V Award, and 2021 Cleve Backster Award
Confirms The Backster School of Lie Detection has been added to PEAK CATC, preserving 60+ years of legacy
Confirms Mark Handler is a polygraph examiner, instructor, and credibility assessment consultant at PEAK
Confirms Mark Handler is Polygraph Product Manager at Lafayette Instrument Company
Confirms Mark Handler is a veteran of the U.S. Naval Nuclear Power Program and U.S. Nuclear Submarine Service
Confirms Mark Handler served as APA Editor for the APA Magazine
Confirms Mark Handler has 44 publications with 265 citations and serves as Editor for the journal Polygraph
Confirms Mark Handler received Leonarde Keeler Award 2020, Motsinger Horizon Award 2008, and Cleve Backster Award 2018; also confirms Ben Blalock's 2017 Reid Award and 2021 Backster Award
Confirms Walters graduated from International Academy of Polygraph in 1995, is Tests to APA Standards Instructor, past School Director of IAP, Collier County Sheriff's Office sergeant
Confirms Jim Orr taught at Academy of Polygraph Science 2012-2016 and transitioned to PEAK Cadre as senior instructor in 2016
Confirms Joe Waters is retired NYPD investigator with M.A. in Forensic Psychology, teaching at PEAK since 2020
Confirms Juan Navarro is a bilingual 2020 PEAK graduate, PCSOT examiner, and lab assistant
Confirms Trish Orr graduated from PEAK in 2018, certified Florida examiner, lab assistant since 2021
Confirms PEAK is accredited by APA and recognized by AAPP with full accreditation standards compliance