Dirty bombsNew York police officers equipped and ready to detect dirty bombs

Published 7 November 2011

Law enforcement officials operating in the New York City region are trained and equipped to intercept dirty bomb threats

Thanks to DHS funding, law enforcement officials operating in the New York City region are trained and equipped to intercept dirty bomb threats; under the Securing the Cities initiative, launched in 2006, local police departments in a forty-five mile radius around New York City have spent over $69 million to purchase more than 5,000 nuclear detection devices; the devices include the Thermal Scientific RadEye personal radiation detector, which officers carry with them while on duty; the detector is roughly the size of a pager and will hum when it senses radiation levels that are higher than normal

Thanks to DHS funding, law enforcement officials operating in the New York City region are trained and equipped to intercept dirty bomb threats.
Under the Securing the Cities initiative, launched in 2006, local police departments in a forty-five mile radius around New York City have spent over $69 million to purchase more than 5,000 nuclear detection devices. 
The devices include the Thermal Scientific RadEye personal radiation detector, which officers carry with them while on duty. 
The detector is roughly the size of a pager and will hum when it senses radiation levels that are higher than normal. The devices are always turned on and if a vehicle or location is suspected of housing nuclear material, an officer can be called in to quickly and safely screen the area. 
The program has also enabled authorities to install radiation detecting equipment in the tunnels leading to Manhattan from New Jersey. 
To ensure that officers are properly trained and ready to use the equipment, local agencies routinely hold drills that simulate a potential terrorist attack using dirty bombs.
Last month 150 law enforcement agencies around New York City participated in a five day drill that tested officers’ abilities to intercept nuclear material smuggled by terrorists. 
Training also includes preparing law enforcement officials to respond to a dirty bomb that has been successfully detonated. 
DHS has made the Securing the Cities a permanent program, increased its budget by $27 million, and has begun plans to expand it to other major cities.