By C1 Staff
ST. CLAIR COUNTY, Mich. — An airport scanner has found a new home at the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department, where it helps staff search inmates and visitors for potential contraband.
The Times Herald reports that it’s one of 21 such scanners being used by law enforcement in Michigan.
“We use it as a supplement,” said Capt. Tom Bliss. “We do the physical pat down first.”
Money for the machine came from the department’s drug forfeiture funds; it cost the department $11,174.
Female officers scan female inmates, while male officers scan male inmates.
The machine scans a person in less than 10 seconds, and does not allow staff to see inside a person’s body cavities. Images are erased after the scan.