Detecting Weapons, Contraband and Chemicals
In any setting where security is required — whether an airport, a concert or a prison — public safety agencies seek to detect:- Weapons.
- Other contraband — illegal items such as drugs, or prohibited items such as cell phones or cash in prisons.
- Toxic chemicals that may be used as weapons or to manufacture illegal drugs.
Contraband can be hidden in a person's clothes or baggage or on or in their bodies. Or, they can be hidden in the surrounding environment - for instance, on the underside of a chair or in a book on a shelf.
Detection technologies need to be able to locate both metallic and nonmetallic items, including large items such as guns or bombs, and small items such as baggies of drugs or razor blades.
Detection technologies may also help law enforcement find crime scene evidence, such as gunshot residue or traces of blood.
Learn more about:
- Detecting Items Hidden on a Person or Inside a Body
- Detecting Items Hidden or Substances Present in the Surrounding Environment
Date Created: August 29, 2012
