Chemical & Biological Defense:
Technologies are needed that will better help law enforcement identify an attack by terrorists using chemical or biological weapons and survive that attack. In collaboration with the Technical Support Working Group (TSWG), NIJ is also developing a low-cost, wearable personal alarm to alert first responders to the presence of toxic chemical and biological agents—one of the highest priority practitioner needs identified in NIJ’s 1997 nationwide inventory of State and local law enforcement technology needs to combat terrorism.
Transportation & Infrastructure Safety
Severe damage to or destruction of the critical national transportation infrastructures would dramatically affect the defense, economic security, and public welfare of the United States. There are 4 million miles of public roads on which 20 million trucks travel, 100,000 miles of railroad track carrying 1.2 million operating freight cars, and 6,000 transit entities that operate rapid transit rail and bus services.
Office of Justice Programs and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. (2001). A resource guide to law enforcement, corrections, and forensic technologies (pp. 1-95) (United States, Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs and Office of Community Oriented Policing Services). Washington, DC: COPS: Community Oriented Policing Services.