Federal Stimulus Funds Speed Body Scanner Rollout

The Department of Homeland Security today said it is using stimulus funds to accelerate the deployment of advanced imaging technology screening systems at 11 airports by the start of summer.

DHS is expanding the technology that it claims bolsters security with the capability of imaging objects concealed under clothing. Despite privacy concerns, 40 systems already are used at 19 airports in the United States, and DHS expects to deploy a total of 450 units by year-end.

The first of the new units lands at Boston Logan International today, followed next week by deployment at Chicago O'Hare, with additional rollouts at nine other airports by summer—including Charlotte Douglas International, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, Kansas City International, Los Angeles International and San Diego International.

DHS said all of those airports—with the exception of LAX—are receiving the enhanced imaging technology for the first time, and that additional airports will be announced in the "near future."

Asked by Monument Policy Group partner Stewart Verdery at the Masters Program in Washington, D.C., last month what impact the growing use of new imaging machines will have on airport security wait times, Stephen Heifetz, deputy assistant secretary for policy development at the DHS, said, "It's true that the machines take a little bit longer, though not that much longer."

The increase in airport security wait times will vary, Heifetz said, noting that since some consider the images produced by the scanners invasive, passengers can request alternative screening. "The wait times will depend on where it's configured and whether people request secondary screening, or screening through a pat-down and metal detection, since those take significantly longer than the walk-through or advanced imaging technology," Heifetz said.

Invoking an adage, "if you build a 10-foot wall, someone will get a 12-foot ladder," IJet president Bruce McIndoe said, "The drug smuggling industry has used body cavity to move drugs for decades if not hundreds of years, so as soon as we put this technology out there for body contour, counter to that is to just put explosives inside the body." McIndoe questioned why the United States would spend millions on what he called an "ineffective barrier."

Heifetz responded that DHS relies on multiple layers of security, including not only scanners and metal detectors at the security checkpoint, but also a behavior detection personnel program not visible to the public.

"It's impossible to eliminate all risk-that's always been the case and will always been the case. Given reasonable resources, we want to reduce risk as much as we can," Heifetz said, later adding, "While it's always possible that an individual can circumvent one layer, the likelihood of circumventing all layers is very low."