Photos by Dave Sotero/Metro.
As I’m sure many of you are aware, a man with a pipe bomb strapped to his body attacked the New York subway system on Monday. Thankfully, no one was killed with three riders suffering minor injuries.
A device to detect bombs and explosive devices is being tested this week at our busy 7th/Metro Station in downtown Los Angeles by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in partnership with Metro.
This is part of Metro’s ongoing effort to test different technologies that can improve safety on the system. In August, Metro tested a different type of explosive detection unit called Evolv at the west entrance to the Red/Purple Line at Union Station.
The TSA press release is posted below.
Categories: Policy & Funding, Projects
The biggest weakness in Metro’s security is the decline of officers actually working ‘in the field’. Not sure if they were moved to desk jobs or donut shop inspection.
As with any safety system, there are ways (yes plural) to beat it.
Announcing the system gives data to those that would want to avoid detection. If a person’s goal is to kill and injure people, they may do anything to beat the system. The more unknowns in the system (hidden detection systems that have not been announced), the more likely it is to catch those who would do evil. I flew in Nov of 2001 and saw the weaknesses in the system then. There are still weaknesses in the TSA system. Short of a police state, there will always be weaknesses in the MTA system.