LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Forensic Laboratory has been awarded a $426,800 grant from the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety.
This grant was made through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and will be used to purchase a Liquid Chromatograph Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer, according to police.
The LCMSMS will be used to test blood samples collected in DUI investigations and can detect a wide array of illegal narcotics, cannabis, prescription drugs along with over the counter medications.
Authorities say the new instrumentation will facilitate efficient testing of DUI samples for faster prosecution. It is common for impaired drivers to have more than one drug in their system, often in addition to alcohol.
According to the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety, impaired driving is the No. 1 cause of motor vehicle collisions resulting in injuries and deaths on Nevada roads.
Since January 2019, police in Las Vegas have arrested over 8,000 people for driving under the influence.
