Los Angeles to receive body scanners in its rail transit systems

In a move towards bolstering security, the subway and other rail transits in the city of Los Angeles are set to receive portable body scanners. The announcement was made by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Additionally, LA would also be the first city to use such systems, which will help in the detection of weapons and explosive devices.

“We’re dealing with persistent threats to our transportation systems in our country. Our job is to ensure security in the transportation systems so that a terrorist incident does not happen on our watch,” said TSA administrator David Pekoske. The scanners will be deployed in a few months time and would be capable of scanning individuals from more than 30 feet away and can cover over 2000 passengers per hour. The new devices will mainly be used by the authorities to look for any weapons that can cause a high number of casualties. Common threats include explosives hidden in the luggage or embedded in specially designed vests and assault rifles that can lead to mass shootings.

The devices are manufactured by a company called Thruvision and cost $100,000 each. They emit radio waves that render an image of the individuals being scanned. While passengers will be shown covered in green, suspicious objects will appear in black. These systems are definitely a step forward in protecting the hundreds of millions of Americans who travel by rail each year.