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English: Practice, Practice, Practice: Taking Special Care to Manage Crime Scene with Radioactive Material and Contaminated Evidence

Radioactive material can end up on crime scenes as a result of intentional malicious acts such as theft or trafficking of material. It can also be the result of criminals causing unintentional damage to machinery that contains radioactive sources. Regardless of the cause, a crime scene at which radioactive material may be present, requires special care. In cooperation with the Armenian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, the IAEA created a mock crime scene with radioactive material and contaminated evidence to simulate investigation and evidence collection in a safe and secure manner.

Officers place the equipment for evidence recovery and contamination monitoring close to, but outside of the crime scene. The equipment includes a contamination meter, evidence packaging, extenders for collecting evidence at a safe distance, and cotton swabs for checking contamination of the evidence packaging.

Yerevan, Armenia. 10 - 15 November 2019

Special Thanks to: Armenian Regulatory Authority (ANRA) for thei cooperation and Anna Melkumyan, Head of Nuclear Information and Internatioanl Cooperation Section for cooperation and partnership.

Dr Eva Szeles, Nuclear Forensics Expert - Centre for EnergyResearch, Hungary

Mrs. Sharon Gartland, Msc, Education Consultant

Dr. Luiz Conti, Radiation Protection Expert, Brazilian National Nuclear Energy Commission

Mr Tom Craik, UK Police Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Tactical Advisor

Peter Burton, Nuclear security Officer, Division of Nuclear Security, IAEA

CAPTIONS Inna Pletukhina, Outreach Officer, Division of Nuclear Security, IAEA

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA