The full-body airport scanners that captured near-nude images of fliers as they wove through Transportation Security Administration screening have been repurposed for use at the nation’s jails, prisons and state and local government buildings.
The TSA pulled 171 of the full-body scanners from airports last year, in the face of widespread outrage over the graphic images they captured. But tossing the scanners wasn’t an option; each one cost between $130,000 and $170,000, the Los Angeles Times reported.
So TSA recently sent 154 of them to law enforcement agencies in Arkansas, New York, Michigan and several other localities, the newspaper reported. Another 96 are sitting in the manufacturer’s warehouse, waiting decision on where they’ll land.
“TSA and the vendor are working with other government agencies interested in receiving units for their security mission needs and for use in a different environment,” TSA spokesman Ross Feinstein said to the Federal Times, in a previous interview.
It’s not clear which government buildings — outside of jails and prisons — in the nation now use the scanners.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.