Body scanners tested in Los Angeles subway system
Chris McLaughlin, a vice president with Evolv Technology, test the company's body scanner at Union Station subway station in Los Angeles Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Mike Balsamo)
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Passengers boarding subway trains in Los Angeles may soon be shuffled through airport-style body scanners that are aimed to detect firearms and explosives.
A two-day pilot program by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority began Wednesday.
Metro spokesman Dave Sotero says the machines use sensors to scan a person as they walk through, searching for firearms and explosive compounds.
Passengers don't need to unload laptops or take off their jackets or shoes as the radio waves scan them to detect anomalies.
Metro is conducting the pilot program to evaluate the accuracy and capacity of the portable machines and determine if the scanners could become permanent fixtures in the county's transit.
The screening is voluntary, and officials say the machines can scan about 600 people per hour.