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Police Commissioner Ray Kelly in Favor of Full-Body Scanners

By Ben Fractenberg | November 23, 2010 3:26pm
The full-body scanners bounce X-rays off the skin producing a black-and-white image some say is too revealing.
The full-body scanners bounce X-rays off the skin producing a black-and-white image some say is too revealing.
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AP Photo/Brian Branch-Price

By Ben Fractenberg

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

DOWNTOWN — Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly waded into the debate over full-body scanners and security pat-downs at airports Tuesday, putting his weight firmly behind the TSA.

"I think technology is the way to go," Kelly said when he was asked about the scanners after a press conference at 1 Police Plaza. "It’s gonna speed up the process."

The TSA has come under intense criticism over the full-body scanners with some travelers and officials complaining about privacy and what happens to the images after the scans are completed.

The scanners produce an intimate view of passengers and have led to the creation of "scanner-proof underwear," and "National Opt-Out Day" which asks travellers to opt-out of the scans on the day before Thanksgiving, the busiest travel day of the year.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said he supported using full-body scanners at airports at a press conference in One Police Plaza on Tuesday.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said he supported using full-body scanners at airports at a press conference in One Police Plaza on Tuesday.
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DNAinfo/Ben Fractenberg

Kelly, who served as commissioner of the U.S. Customs Service, said people who did not wish to go through the scanners could instead choose to be patted down by TSA officers, a procedure that has also drawn criticism in recent weeks.

JFK Airport started using the scanners at the American Airlines terminal and both Newark and LaGuardia airports will rollout the devices within the next couple weeks.

Kelly said the 60-plus airports currently using them wasn't enough.

The commissioner has generally supported the use of technology to fight crime over privacy concerns.

He recently oversaw the installation of cameras along express bus lanes on First and Second avenues to catch drivers using them illegally.

A TSA agent looks at an image of a full-body scan at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia.
A TSA agent looks at an image of a full-body scan at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia.
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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images