PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office has added a new portable drug detection device to its crime-fighting arsenal.
Lincoln County purchased a Tactic ID Mobil, a portable Raman analyzer acquired with funds from the opioid settlement to local governments across the U.S. in the wake of the opioid crisis. The device can effectively confirm the chemical composition of suspected illegal drugs, explosives and more, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said.
“The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office has acquired and is now utilizing a new state-of-the-art tool that will enable law enforcement to more safely and smartly address the drug problems in our communities,” the LCSO announced on August 15.
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Deputies and detectives began training on how to use the Raman analyzer on August 2. Sara Tabb, an evidence inspection specialist with the LCSO, said the drug detection device is safer and more efficient than other detection methods.
“Previous methods posed a higher risk of chemical exposure and accidental contact with the samples being tested as samples were unpacked or repackaged for testing,” Tabb was quoted as saying in a press release. “The Raman scanner is definitely an advancement in safe and reliable substance analysis.”
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While officers are still required to conduct official lab tests when prosecuting a case, the Raman analyzer gives authorities the confidence that it is worth sending suspected drugs to the lab. Officers can also scan the drugs without removing the substances from their packaging.
“The Raman analyzer uses a laser to penetrate most types of packaging, including tough road samples, colored samples and impure samples,” the LCSO said. “It can quickly scan directly through transparent containers. It then identifies substances based on the returned spectrum and compares the data to the over 24,000 known substances in its database.”
The sheriff’s office said the device will be available to all law enforcement agencies operating in Lincoln County.
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