NCJ Number
204065
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 31 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2004 Pages: 18,20,22,23
Date Published
January 2004
Length
4 pages
Annotation
After discussing the ways in which terrorists might contaminate America's food and water supply, this article considers law enforcement's role in responding to such incidents.
Abstract
In 1984 a religious cult in Oregon contaminated salad bars in several restaurants with salmonella, rendering 751 individuals sick, with 45 being hospitalized. In January 2003 a Michigan supermarket employee contaminated 200 pounds of hamburger with a nicotine insecticide, causing illness in over 100 people. These are examples of how vulnerable food sources can be to intentional contamination. Likely means of intentional contamination of food and water are with such compounds as nicotine, solanine, ricin toxin, and botulinum toxin. Many parts of the food production and distribution system are vulnerable to terrorist attack, and they are impossible to guard at all times. Water supplies would be most vulnerable at the local level or at small water distribution systems at such places as hotels, hospitals, schools, or sports arenas. At such sites a small amount of contaminant could have a serious impact. In an incidents in which large numbers of people fall ill and it is obvious that a poisoning event has occurred, the role of law enforcement would be to secure the crime scene, interview witnesses, interrogate suspects, and guard potentially contaminated food or water sources until health officials can take appropriate samples for identification. In a suspected chemical/biological attack, law enforcement officials should contact the National Poison Control Center. The police crime laboratory might also be asked to assist in contaminant identification. Currently, there are no field detection kits for the identification of likely contaminants of food and water; identification would require laboratory analysis; however, all suspect materials should be handled with latex gloves, followed by thorough handwashing. Contaminated food disposal should be by incineration or a method approved by health officials. The food production facility and its machinery and equipment would require thorough washing with appropriate cleaning agents. Contaminated water supplies would require complete flushing by the water department.