A study conducted at Iowa State University suggests a police officer’s ability to identify someone carrying a gun or bomb is only slightly better than chance. Lead author Dawn Sweet directs ISU’s Body Language and Facial Expressions Lab. She says police need more tools and evidence based training to identify someone might may be concealing a weapon.

 

Sweet is now workomg to develop a standardized approach to evaluating behaviors that predict if someone is concealing a weapon or dangerous device, and therein poses a threat.

 

Sweet’s study is published in the journal Law and Human Behavior.