How is UV dye in pepper spray tracked?

[Guest confidence]

I have some Freeze +P pepper spray with UV dye in it. So how does the dye work? They catch the suspect and then shine a UV light on him? Do all police departments have UV lights at their disposal? If I were the victim and sprayed the BG would I just inform the cops of the UV dye in the spray and they would know the procedure for this?

[Jonnin]

yes, all LEO should have a UV light.  Its used for tons of crap including fingerprint searching other evidence gathering.  I suspect most police cars have one in them at a guess (??).  They are fairly cheap items.

 

I do not know about the spray specifically but lots of compounds show up in UV, its not rocket science to mix one into a spray.  Heck most white particles, even dust, show up in UV like a beacon, you never played with one??

Edited May 30, 2013 by Jonnin

[Murgatroy]

UV=Blacklight.

 

Lot of us are more familiar with the idea of a Blacklight.

[Pain103]

Most patrol officers dont carry a blacklight but most if not all investigators and detectives have one. Turn it on and the area lights up to the pattern of applied area.

[Guest Keal G Seo]

UV=Blacklight.

+1

Cheap so yes, most if not all PD/SDs have them.

[Dustbuster]

uv/blacklights arent standard patrol items unless youre on the "mob squad" detail, specializing in groovy apprehension,and pants on the ground task force ops....