Where there’s a will, there’s a way. This adage might be motivational in some instances, but unfortunately, when it comes to smuggling narcotics, perpetrators take it to heart. Using vehicles to conceal and carry drugs across the border between California and Mexico keeps interdiction officers busy, and the methods criminals use are becoming more sophisticated.
Take, for instance, a situation several years ago when the San Diego Sheriff’s Office was investigating a vehicle believed to be involved in smuggling narcotics. Detective Jeremy Bedingfield, narcotic K9 handler and part of the border crimes suppression team, detained the car in question during a traffic stop and began his search.
It was believed that drugs were being smuggled inside the intake manifold, but without completely dismantling it, there was no way to tell. Eventually, Bedingfield decided to open it up, discovering it was not only filled with drugs but also lined with lead – a method used to prevent X-ray machinery from locating hidden contraband.
While this ended in a win for SDSO, that’s not always the case, sometimes leaving innocent motorists standing on the side of a road with a dismantled vehicle when no drugs were present. Yet even in cases where drugs are found, it can take hours to perform a manual search. Though the time spent is often necessary, it can limit the efficacy of the interdiction team.
FINDING A BETTER WAY
Recognizing the need for a more efficient search process, the San Diego Sheriff’s Office used a federal grant to purchase several Nighthawk devices. These handheld X-ray systems, made by Viken Detection, work to locate narcotics quickly and safely, acting as a force multiplier in an area where smuggling drugs is becoming increasingly prevalent.
Bedingfield’s team has four Nighthawk units alone, and after six years of use, he’s come to rely on them multiple times per week. Members of the Viken Detection team visited the agency to teach them how to use the device, but Bedingfield says it’s experience in the field that really helps hone one’s skills.
“Once you have the general idea of how it operates, you can deploy it and learn on the job,” he explained. “For example, if I’ve never used it before and I scan a section of a car, I may not know what that is supposed to look like until I’ve scanned it many times. Then eventually, when I scan a section that has kilos of cocaine inside, I’m going to see the difference between normal and what is not normal. It’s like building up your own personal database.”
SEEING WHERE THE EYE CAN’T
Depending on the type of vehicle that’s being searched, it can take an interdiction officer five or more hours to locate hidden narcotics. Perpetrators often go to extreme measures to conceal drugs, and Bedingfield has found narcotics hidden anywhere from the inside of a tire to drive shafts.
“The Nighthawk allows you to either clear an area in a vehicle or discover something in a vehicle very quickly,” he said. “Sometimes perpetrators will build compartments in vehicles and then cover up the compartments with Bondo or other types of fabrications so you can’t see into it and know if it’s loaded or not. The Nighthawk allows you to see the contraband that’s inside that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to see without doing some type of damage.”
Using the device helps avoid more extreme measures, he continues. Rather than removing an entire front fender or dismantling a firewall, he can scan an area in as little as five minutes and determine if narcotics are present. While most X-ray devices are hindered when it comes to lead-lined compartments, the Nighthawk’s imaging technology offers true lead detection, alerting interdiction officers to the presence of lead where there otherwise shouldn’t be.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO SACRIFICE SAFETY
Since Bedingfield and his team use the Nighthawk regularly, it’s essential for them to ensure they aren’t being exposed to large amounts of radiation. Rather than having to don special garb or limit their use of the tool, the Nighthawk’s design allows for frequent use without worry.
Designed using backscatter technology, it delivers X-rays through small 3mm slits inside a rotating chopper wheel. This allows for easy detection of narcotics while exposing the user to the same level of radiation as flying on an airplane for only one hour each time the device is used. Viken Detection practices the ALARA principle (as low as reasonably achievable) to ensure law enforcement officers are protected while providing a tool that yields actionable results.
This level of safety extends to the device’s visual display as well. A 2-D image is presented on a screen in real time, enabling officers to view narcotics in their exact location without having to feel around and expose themselves to dangerous substances unnecessarily.
LESS LIABILITY, GREATER CONFIDENCE
Sometimes Bedingfield can determine if narcotics are hidden inside a vehicle without the use of the Nighthawk, but having the tool at the ready to act as confirmation has saved him time – and eliminated headaches for those who are innocent.
“It has helped in all instances from complex searches to even simple liability issues where using it makes it a lot less likely that I’m going to damage someone’s car,” he said. “It’s good for us and good for the public because we’re going to be detaining people for shorter periods of time and create less damage to people’s cars because we’re able to search more thoroughly on scene.”
Visit Viken Detection for more information.
