Guide To The Technologies Of Concealed Weapon And Contraband Imaging And Detection

Provides information that will help members of the law enforcement & corrections community, who are present or potential users & operators of a concealed weapon & contraband imaging & detection system (CWCIDS), better understand the operation, limitations, & applicability of CWCIDS technology to their specific application & to provide an overview of the state of development in the CWCIDS for the mutual benefit of all interested parties. Chapters: possible applications, type of information obtained, form factors, parameters affecting detection, safety & radiation exposure, the technologies, & suggestions & recommendations for performance standards.

The Office of Law Enforcement Standards (OLES) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) furnishes technical support to the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) program to strengthen law enforcement and criminal justice in the United States. OLES's function is to conduct research that will assist law enforcement and criminal justice agencies in the selection and procurement of quality equipment.

This guide provides information to law enforcement, corrections, and forensic science professionals to assist them in evaluating, acquiring, and using equipment and technology. The main body of the guide presents an overview of the technology of most concern to the law enforcement, corrections, and forensic science communities. It contains 19 chapters arranged in four sections. Section I, "Officer Protection and Crime Prevention," contains eight chapters that focus on protective equipment, restraint systems, firearms, less-than-lethal weapons, pursuit management surveillance, offender monitoring/officer location, and concealed weapon and contraband detection. Section II, "Public Safety in Critical Incidents," is composed of three chapters that cover explosives detection and remediation, chemical and biological defense, and transportation infrastructure security. Section III, "Communications and Information Technology," contains five chapters that address communications interoperability, biometric identification, information sharing and analysis, crime mapping, and electronic crime/cybercrime. Section IV, "Investigative and Forensic Sciences," consists of three chapters that focus on crime laboratory assistance, forensic technology research and development, and investigative sciences. Each chapter includes a description of relevant technologies (equipment and devices, software, and related training) available to local law enforcement, corrections, and forensic science professionals and lists the following: potential funding sources, standards and testing, research and development efforts, and sources of further information. Four appendixes provide supplemental information on the Justice Department's Office of Justice Programs and Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

The purpose of this document is to establish performance requirements and testing methods for active walk-through metal detectors used to find metal weapons and/or metal contraband carried on a person and/or concealed by a nonmetal object. The Office of Law Enforcement Standards (OLES) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) provides technical support to the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) program to support law enforcement and criminal justice in the United States. OLES's function is to develop standards and conduct research that will assist law enforcement and criminal justice agencies. OLES is: (1) subjecting existing equipment to laboratory testing and evaluation, and (2) conducting research leading to the development of several series of documents, including national standards, user guides, and technical reports. This document covers research conducted by OLES under the sponsorship of NIJ. Additional reports as well as other documents are being issued under the OLES program in the areas of protective clothing and equipment, communications systems, emergency equipment, investigative aids, security systems, vehicles, weapons, and analytical techniques and standard reference materials used by the forensic community.

The security of the U.S. commercial aviation system has been a growing concern since the 1970's when the hijacking of aircraft became a serious problem. Over that period, federal aviation officials have been searching for more effective ways for non-invasive screening of passengers, luggage, and cargo to detect concealed explosives and weapons. To assist in this effort, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) asked the NRC for a study of emerging screening technologies. This report-the third of four-focuses on currently maturing millimeter-wavelength/terahertz imaging and spectroscopy technologies that offer promise in meeting aviation security requirements. The report provides a description of the basic operation of these imaging systems, an assessment of their component technologies, an analysis of various system concepts, and an implementation strategy for deployment of millimeter-wavelength/terahertz technology screening systems.

In response to the ever-increasing global threat of terrorist attacks, the personal screening industry has been growing at a rapid rate. Many methods have been developed for detecting concealed weapons and explosives on the human body. In this important new book, the authors discuss their experiences over the last decade designing and testing microwave and millimetre wave detection and screening systems. It includes examples of actual devices that they have built and tested, along with test results that were obtained in realistic scenarios. The book focuses on the development of non-imaging detection systems, which are similar to radar. These systems do not form a conventional image of the scene and the person(s) being screened. Instead, the sensors detect and analyze the effect that the body, and any concealed objects, has on a transmitted waveform. These systems allow remote detection of both metallic and dielectric devices concealed on the human body in both indoor and outdoor environments. The book discusses a number of sensor types, including active millimetre wave sensors using the direct detection and the heterodyne approach, active microwave sensors for CNR-based object detection, passive millimetre wave sensors, and the role of shielding effects in operating non-imaging MM-wave sensors. The goal of this book is to systemize the test results obtained by the authors, helping specialists to develop improved screening systems in the future. Another goal is to show how the use of non-imaging systems can reduce the cost of the screening process.