BURLINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Viken Detection, pioneer of x-ray imaging and analytical devices, today announced the initial five police departments from around the country that will receive handheld x-ray technology for drug interdiction through the company’s “VALOR” program that was introduced in June. VALOR is an acronym for Viken Assisting Law-enforcement in the Opioid Response.
The program was created to provide refurbished technology, either free or at cost, to help law enforcement fight the opioid crisis and get drugs, cash and weapons out of circulation and off the street. The technology is a handheld x-ray imager called the HBI-120, engineered and manufactured by Viken Detection, that enables law enforcement to quickly, safely and cost-effectively find concealed explosives, narcotics and other contraband hidden in vehicles.
After receiving many applications, Viken Detection engaged an independent law enforcement veteran to select the first five recipient agencies that have been particularly impacted by the opioid epidemic. This morning, representatives from each of the initial five recipients chosen were presented with the imager at Viken Detection’s Burlington facility and received training on behalf of their respective departments.
“Police departments around the country have been asked to undertake a seemingly impossible task that has only grown in scope since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic and that is to protect the public from the opioid crisis,” said Jim Ryan, CEO of Viken Detection. “This handheld imaging technology has allowed drug interdiction officers to take thousands of pounds of drugs out of circulation already and it is our hope that with increased access to this technology, officers will be able to meet their public safety mandate better and more quickly as the opioid epidemic rages on.”
The recipient police departments are in Oklahoma, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia and Indiana. The presentations were given this morning at Viken Detection’s Burlington facility in an event that enabled Viken to recognize these officers for the work they and their departments are doing under difficult circumstances.
For more information about Viken Detection’s VALOR program or about the technology, please visit us at www.vikendetection.com.
About Viken Detection
Viken Detection provides enabling security imaging and material identification solutions that help law enforcement and safety inspection professionals keep the public safe from drug trafficking, terrorism and other hazardous threats. The company’s innovative handheld products, the HBI-120 (handled imager) and Pb200i (lead-paint analyzer), are the recognized leaders in their markets. Viken Detection is headquartered just west of Boston, Massachusetts. For more information, visit vikendetection.com.
