Biological and chemical agents are spread out in the atmosphere in the form of particle clouds. Hence, a method to detect and localize such clouds remotely is desired. We report some initial experiments performed with a recently developed coherent laser radar (CLR) system wherein the results direct our future work. The CLR was used to detect particles in motion at a distance of about 25 m in a laboratory environment. These initial tests have revealed that particles are detectable by the use of a CLR and that their velocity distribution can be measured. In coming studies we are going to use particles with known size distribution and measure the concentration of the generated clouds/particle streams. The detection capability of the CLR system will then be determined as a function of distance and particle cloud characteristics. The goal will be to describe the conditions under which the CLR can perform as a detector of various types of clouds.