Halifax police spending $40K on ion scanner capable of detecting explosives and drugs

The Halifax Regional Police are getting a new piece of tech that they say will help them with a “variety of investigations.”

Police have issued a request for quotations on a scanner capable of detecting trace amounts of explosives or narcotics.

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The machine will set back the city $39,576, although that will eventually be reimbursed through Nova Scotia’s Department of Justice.

Users are able to take swabs of suspected drugs or explosives and even a person’s hands before having the machine scan for trace particles.

“This piece of equipment will be used by our Forensic Identification Section to assist them with a variety of investigations,” said Const. John MacLeod, a spokesperson for the HRP.

“The ION scanner enables controlled preliminary tests of unknown powders such as fentanyl, increasing the information available to officers on scene and thereby increasing public and officer safety.”

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Unknown substances, such as suspected drugs, are currently verified by submitting the evidence to the Health Canada Drug Lab. MacLeod says the final analysis of any substance tested by the new machine will continue to be verified using that same method if charges are laid or anticipated.

The deadline for the request closes Sept. 11.