The NYPD is conducting a test for a new device that will help officers detect firearms through clothing. The T-Ray can detect radiation emitted from a person's body. These radiation waves called terahertz (THz) can travel through fabric and packaging, but not metal. Therefore, images captured by the device could reveal if a person is carrying a gun or other weapon.
The T-Ray has been tested and in progress for four years and is being paid for by the Department of Defense. The NY police commissioner, Raymond Kelly hopes future versions of the device can be "mounted on police vehicles or worn on officers' belts."
Civil liberties groups have mixed responses. Some have concerns about letting the police do searches on people without them knowing. On the other hand, it could help reduce illegal searches.
For more on this story, NYPD Testing Its First Gun-Detecting Body Scanner | Security Management.
Carlton Purvis 1/24/2013