Local police begin using new groundbreaking technology to test for drugs
Every day, 14 Pennsylvanians die from opioid overdose. Now- new technology is available for the first time in our area, helping investigators get dangerous drugs off the streets faster than ever before. Channel 11 anchor Gordon Loesch got an exclusive look at the system designed to save lives.
Channel 11 cameras were allowed inside the Washington County District Attorney's office as local police - some undercover - learned how to use this new and very expensive piece of technology - the MX908 spectrometer.
'It's going to be a game changer,' said Det. Michael Ledger of the Canonsburg Police Department.
The portable device can be used to test for nearly 200 chemicals, explosives, and drugs.
'If we have an active crime scene, we could take this machine right in and test things in the house off the tables.'
Drugs are specifically why the Washington County DA just secured six of the devices.
Peters Township Police Chief Joseph Glover says this will offer a new line of protection for officers from dangerous substances like heroin and fentanyl.
'It can be absorbed through your fingers; it can also be inhaled. And either one can be very bad for someone, especially somebody who has absolutely no tolerance for it,' said Chief Glover.
Right now, it takes weeks or months to send in substances and get results from state crime labs.
But with the MX908 - it takes just minutes and, because it's portable, it can be done in the field.
'To be able to prosecute people that want to put these poisons into our communities a lot quicker,' said Washington County DA Jason Walsh.
The president of the company, Stephen Mills, says this device started out in counterterrorism.
'Originally the targets of interest were very much based on chemical warfare and explosives,' said Mills. Mills says his company has now sold more than 3000 of the devices worldwide.'
'Law enforcement really has become a key focus for us because of the emergence of fentanyl and the emergence of nitazenes which is a new opioid that we're seeing on the street more. Eighty percent of people don't even know what those are--- they are more potent than fentanyl,' said Mills.
The Pennsylvania State Crime Lab would still be needed for 'confirmation' on any 'positive' test result from the MX908. But it's possible in the future -- the device could be used to help lessen the workload at the state lab.
Ohio has been testing out its own use.
Ohio has a very interesting program backed by their lab where they're trying to use the MX908 to adjudicate cases that are of lower levels. Cases that would result in drug rehab or you know suspended sentences stuff like that. so, they're trying to use that to take some of the backlog off the lab.
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