Technology Transfer From Defense: Concealed Weapon Detection

• NCJ Number: 170542
• Date Published: January 1995
• Length: 6 pages
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored

Annotation

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) launched an initiative in March 1995 to promote the development of technology for concealed weapons detection and has approved funding for three technologies that use different physical principles and have situation-specific advantages and disadvantages.

Abstract

The initiative is the result of a cooperative arrangement between the Department of Justice and the Department of Defense regarding technology sharing and development efforts for law enforcement and the military operations that are unrelated to war. NIJ expects one or more of the concealed weapons detectors to be in commercial production within 3 years. The first technology is passive imaging technology operating in the millimeter wave portion of the electromagnetic spectrum to detect concealed weapons, explosives, drugs, and other contraband at a distance of up to 12 feet. The second technology is low-frequency electromagnetic radiation, which has the potential for the development of portable and standoff weapon detection systems. The third technology uses magnetic gradient measurements, a proven technology used in mineral exploration, military navigation, and other applications. This technology is based on passive sampling of the Earth's magnetic field. Photograph, reference note and description of the National Law Enforcement Technology Center