Murrieta Cops Go High-Tech With TruNarc Narcotics, Drug ID System

Murrieta CA

14 April, 2022

3:15 PM

Description

MURRIETA, CA — Murrieta Police Department investigators laughingly called it a "drug laser thingy," but the new tool acquired from Thermo Scientific is changing the way officers interact with dangerous chemicals. The instrument is a "785-nm Raman spectrometer" used for the rapid identification of suspected narcotics. At a cost of just under $30,000, the portable battery-powered substance analyzer can find the signature of common drugs and substances, unknown powders and chemicals even through containers. According to the Murrieta Police Department, this handheld unit is designed specifically for law enforcement organizations. The spectrometer analyzes most substances, such as Fentanyl—which can be deadly in some amounts if touched— through sealed packaging. The device provides officers with clear, definitive results, according to a department spokesperson. According to Thermo Scientific, such devices have been purchased by the Customs and Border Patrol, DEA, and police and sheriff's departments from Los Angeles to Fort Worth and beyond. Each device comes with eLearning courses, basic software updates and on-site instructor-led training for the first year. Additional costs for using the device include restocking the testing sticks needed for some drug identifications. On the fly, officers can learn what cutting agents were used in creating the narcotic as well as which type of narcotic they are dealing with. It can determine if the drugs in question are: Narcotics, such as heroin and oxycodone;Stimulants, such as cocaine and methamphetamine;Depressants, such as clonazepam or diazepam;Hallucinogens, such as MDMA (ecstasy) and ketamine;Muscle relaxants, such as carisoprodol;Cough suppressants, such as dextromethorphan. The readout on the device is clear and concise, leaving little to no margin for error. Murrieta Police Officers who discover suspected narcotics don't have to hear out the "it's only baking soda" excuse anymore, they wrote on a recent Facebook post, adding tongue-in-cheek humor to a serious topic. "This device allows officers to accurately test suspected narcotics without having to remove a sample of it for other testing methods," they said. Murrieta residents weighed in over social media, suggesting that lawyers will likely be weighing in to "impune the calibration and related controls for the instrumentation," said John D. LaMascus. "Still, it's a major advance for Criminology and MPD's safety." Several residents spoke out on the dangers of fentanyl and the officers that suspect they have come into contact with the highly dangerous substance. Kelly Dickey wrote the tool adds to the "safety factor [for officers]" who may not know what they are dealing with. Others discussed their tax dollars at work, as did Kyle Black. "It's expensive to pay upfront, however the return value in positively identified drugs held up in court and convicted worth millions of dollars throughout the life of such a device. Yep, it's worth it." Charlotte Purmort-Pratt agreed, saying that "anything that helps lock up the drug dealers and get them off the streets is a good thing."