The New York State Office of Homeland Security and the New York State Police today announced the expansion of an upstate program to enhance state and local law enforcement’s capabilities to detect and interdict radiological material before it can be used in a weapon by would-be terrorists.

“An important component of New York State’s Homeland Security Strategy is to provide our valiant first responders – the men and women who are our front line of defense – with the equipment and training they need to protect the citizens of this State against weapons of mass destruction,” said F. David Sheppard, Director of the New York State
Office of Homeland Security. “The training and equipment provided through the State’s Radiation Detection Plan will bolster law enforcement capabilities to combat radiological threats across the Empire State.”

State Police Superintendent Harry J. Corbitt said, “The New York State Police, along with the Federal and State Offices of Homeland Security have the official responsibility to deploy effective measures to protect our citizens.  The detection and interdiction of illicit radiological material is a necessary component of modern policing.  The radiological
detection technologies shown here today are integral tools in thwarting potential terrorist activities.”

The Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO), a federal Department of Homeland Security agency whose mission in part is to protect the U.S against the use of illicit radiological material, is providing training to users of this state of the art equipment.  The training includes the use of the Personal Radiation Detector (PRD) that select police officers will wear to detect abnormal levels of radiation.  Officers locating suspicious radiation can utilize a Radioactive Isotope Identifying Detector (RIID) that will provide detailed information on the material. These instruments are the precursors to additional advanced scientific tools that can provide even more detailed information about potential
threats to law enforcement.

Director Sheppard explained that the upstate training manifests New York’s commitment to statewide radiological detection and interdiction efforts to complement DNDO’s “Securing The Cities” (STC) initiative. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has been an active leader in the federal “Securing The Cities” program, with multiple joint exercises successfully completed. The “Securing The Cities” Initiative in the New York City region is presently the only program of its type anywhere in the country and involves state and local law enforcement agencies in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut within a 45-mile radius of New York City.