TSA Testing New Explosives Screening Technology
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/CBS News) -- The Transportation Security Administration is testing new security screening technology that could help prevent terror attacks similar to Monday's botched attempt at the Port Authority bus terminal.
The new system is designed to spot hidden explosives and suicide vests, and uses special cameras to scan passengers.
"We're really looking for those alarm indicators. And so as that bar turns from green to red, we know we've identified an individual that may need a little closer scrutiny," said Alex Wiggins, head of security for Los Angeles' transit authority told CBS News. "If we can encounter that person as they enter the station in the mezzanine, we can very, very quickly isolate them and move to an area where if there is a threat we can contain that much better."
It's currently being tested in Los Angeles at the busy 7th Street Metro Station, where four of the area's commuter rail lines connect.
The scanners are designed to operate in the background, passively scanning people walking by in real time without using radiation. They were used by Amtrak in D.C. over the Thanksgiving holiday, and an earlier version was used in New Jersey to screen people heading to the Super Bowl in 2014. TSA said more testing will be needed.
