SAN DIEGO, July 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --
SwabTekTM is introducing the first new product in the
next generation of SwabTek test kits, a test kit for Gunshot
Residue. The test kit is the latest entry in SwabTek's portfolio of
industry-leading tools for explosives and narcotics detection. This
test was designed in response to major demand from law enforcement
organizations looking for solutions to combat gun violence.
The SwabTek Gunshot Residue (GSR) test kit is a single-use
screen that can be used to detect the recent discharge of a
firearm. The solvent-treated swab of the test can be used to lift
suspected residue off of any surface, including hard surfaces like
car doors and tabletops, textile surfaces like clothing and car
seats, and skin surfaces such as hands and arms.
The test kit provides a new and invaluable tool to forensics
personnel in need of real-time data to help guide their
investigations. The inexpensive and mobile format of the tests make
them the optimal solution for law enforcement organizations in need
of a simple and scalable tool to combat gun violence.
In a year already fraught with hardship and uncertainty, 2020
marked the deadliest year for gun violence in the United States in decades, with more than
43,500 gun deaths and 610 mass shootings. This startling trend has
continued into 2021, with high-profile, mass-casualty shootings in
Atlanta, GA; Boulder, CO; and San
Jose, CA. Through the first five months of this year, the
overall numbers of shootings and casualties have exceeded those in
the same period of 2020.
Law enforcement and security professionals facing constrained
budgets and limited resources have been left searching for simple,
inexpensive and effective solutions to help battle gun violence in
their communities.
The tests have been deployed by various agencies with excellent
results. Local police agencies in South
Florida are using the test kits to assist with probable
cause in shooting cases. In the cases where multiple suspects deny
involvement, police are able to narrow their focus by determining
which suspect tests positive for gunshot residue at the scene. This
is important in situations referred to as "gang guns" where there
are several suspects in a vehicle and all deny ownership of a
firearm found inside.
Multiple state fish and wildlife agencies have deployed the
gunshot residue tests. One agency made arrests on two different
poachers within the first week of deploying the tests to game
wardens. The test gives the game wardens another tool to protect
wildlife.
Law enforcement officials state it is not just the accuracy of
the tests, but the immediacy of the results that are beneficial.
These tests protect the rights of citizens by helping them to be
cleared of suspicion and focusing the investigation based on the
evidence. All too often people are pressured into not speaking up
when a shooting occurs, and their silence frequently costs them.
This inexpensive test allows law enforcement to focus on the right
individuals which not only protects the rights of the innocent, but
saves the departments money investigating multiple suspects.
SwabTek's Gunshot Residue Test Kit is now available for sale
online through the company's ecommerce storefront at
www.swabtek.com/collections/kits. To learn more about SwabTek's
portfolio of test kits, visit the resources section of the SwabTek
website for downloadable instructions and further information:
www.swabtek.com/resources
Media Contact:
press@swabtek.com
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SOURCE SwabTek