The National Forensic Science Technology Center (NFSTC) has announced a new partnership with MRIGlobal to provide forensic expertise to the CBRNE Tech Index database and technology evaluation tool.
The partnership aims to increase access to accurate information about detection technologies, allowing forensic agencies and investigators a way to compare technologies and find the tools that will best suit their needs.
CBRNE Tech Index is an independent database housing information and yielding comparisons of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) detection and analysis equipment. The database is accessible worldwide to make research easily searchable for people all over the world.
“Forensic science has a long history of adapting various detection technologies toward matters of crime and identification,” says Kevin Lothridge, NFSTC’s CEO. “Educating the detection consumer improves public safety and the Index is a useful tool when agencies are looking for new equipment. Many decision makers are not classically trained as chemists or scientists. Our partnership will help these agencies by providing objective perspectives on what tools are out there and whether they will work as intended.”
As partners, NFSTC will be responsible for providing expertise regarding the applicability of various technologies in the forensic arena. When shopping for new equipment to solve criminal justice problems, agencies need objective information that ensures taxpayer funding is spent in the most useful and appropriate way.
The Index currently houses information on more than 900 different detection tools. They are currently working on the addition of a forensic application tab and increased search capabilities will focus the field of possibilities for forensic and crime scene users. Technologies will be added to the forensic tab routinely to increase options for lab and agency users.
“Agencies purchasing new equipment need to understand that detection capability that has overlapping areas,” explains Lothridge. “For example, the HazMat team might be able to use the same explosives detection equipment as the SWAT team. Sharing the technology allows communities to make best use of their detection investments.”
