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TSA testing suicide bomb detection tech with Amtrak
The Transportation Security Administration said it is testing new screening tech which can identify concealed suicide vests.
The TSA is working with Amtrak to test the ‘stand-off explosive detection technology’ at New York’s Penn Station.
An alert would sound triggered by a would-be terrorist by ‘naturally occurring emissions from the human body’ when a person passes by the device, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer said in a release.
"When I made the push to bring this technology to New York City it was because we need to put it on the fast-track and we need to perfect it, because if it works, this is where we want it," Schumer said.
The machines can scan individuals as they walk past rather than stopping each person, and a joystick allows an operator to scan in different directions.
"We’re going to do everything we can to look at it, to analyze it, make sure it’s the best thing for us and our customers as well," said Jason Abrams of Amtrak.
Referring to the failed suicide attack by Akayed Ullah at a Port Authority station last December, TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said: "This technology would have been effective and would have identified the suicide bomber."
About 500,000 pass through Penn Station each day and TSA administrator David Pekoske has said airport style passenger screening lines would cause too much disruption to passenger flows at stations like Penn.
"We don’t intend to roll out anything like what we have in the airports. We are satisfied at his point."
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