U.S. law enforcement agencies are increasingly utilizing X-ray technology in a variety of settings, exposing the public to radiation in their efforts to detect explosives, weapons, and drugs. Beyond the well-known airport body scanners, a range of X-ray devices, including mobile Police Car Xray Scanners, have become more prevalent at borders, within prisons, and even on city streets.
These machines are not only becoming more widespread but, in some cases, are also delivering higher doses of radiation. Furthermore, government documents and interviews suggest that agencies are pushing the boundaries of acceptable use, even employing X-ray scans covertly.
While airport scanners are designed to identify objects on the body’s surface, prisons have started employing X-ray technology capable of penetrating the body to find contraband hidden within body cavities. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is in the process of deploying numerous drive-through X-ray portals to scan vehicles at the border, with passengers remaining inside. These police car xray scanner systems and similar technologies have also been tested at ferry terminals, for visitor entry at the Pentagon, and for long-range threat detection at large events. Adding to privacy concerns, both Customs and the New York Police Department (NYPD) have deployed unmarked X-ray vans – effectively mobile police car xray scanners – that can be driven to locations to scan vehicles for drugs and explosives.
Crucially, many federal health regulations designed for medical X-rays do not apply to security screening equipment. This regulatory gap leaves decisions regarding when and how to use these scanners largely to the discretion of security officials. While the 9/11 attacks provided the initial impetus for developing and funding this technology, the majority of these machines have been deployed in just the last few years. In the wake of new threats and increasingly stringent security measures, law enforcement agencies appear more willing to utilize X-ray devices in ways that were once considered unacceptable.
The Proliferation of X-Ray Scanners
Border Drive-Through Scanners: The Z Portal
Customs and Border Protection is actively implementing drive-through X-ray portals, known as Z Portals, at border crossings. These systems are designed to scan vehicles, including cars and buses, as they pass through checkpoints. These portals, manufactured by American Science & Engineering (AS&E), utilize X-rays to penetrate metal and glass, allowing officers to inspect the contents of vehicles for contraband without requiring passengers to exit. The deployment of these police car xray scanner type portals is intended to enhance border security and expedite vehicle inspections.
Despite the need for X-rays strong enough to penetrate vehicle materials, both Customs and AS&E maintain that the radiation dose emitted is comparable to that of an airport body scanner. This is attributed to the fact that border agents are primarily looking for bulk items like explosives or large quantities of drugs, requiring less image resolution than airport security, which searches for smaller objects. However, concerns remain about the cumulative effect of repeated low-dose radiation exposure and the potential for these systems to become routine screening tools, rather than secondary inspection measures. While CBP states that passengers can opt-out of the Z Portal and have a Customs officer drive their vehicle through, the ease and speed of the process raise questions about how often this technology will be used and on whom.
Mobile X-Ray Vans: Unmarked Police Car X-Ray Scanners on City Streets
One of the earliest post-9/11 technologies to expose individuals to X-rays was the Z Backscatter Van (ZBV), effectively a police car xray scanner mounted on a truck chassis, produced by American Science & Engineering. Originally developed for military use in detecting car bombs in war zones, these vans employ X-rays specifically designed to identify organic materials like drugs and explosives. Unlike medical X-rays that pass through objects, ZBV technology uses backscatter X-rays that bounce back to a detector, creating an image based on the scattered radiation. These vans are capable of scanning vehicles while driving alongside them or while parked as vehicles pass by.
According to a company presentation obtained by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), the radiation dose from a backscatter van is approximately twice that of an airport body scanner. This higher dose, coupled with the van’s mobility and potential for covert operation, has raised significant privacy and health concerns. U.S. soldiers in Iraq reportedly nicknamed these vans “white devils,” while Customs officers have given them the less ominous moniker “ice cream trucks.”
Customs and Border Protection has acquired 75 backscatter vans for deployment at border crossings, ports, Border Patrol checkpoints, and even large events like the Super Bowl. While CBP claims that passengers are required to exit vehicles before scanning, the potential for these vans to be used in less controlled environments, such as city streets, is a major point of contention. The New York Police Department, for instance, utilizes these police car xray scanner vans but has been reluctant to disclose details about their deployment and usage. Accounts from sources like a book by ABC News reporters describe unmarked white vans being used to scan vehicles for explosives prior to presidential motorcades, highlighting the potential for covert and widespread use of this technology.
The covert nature of these police car xray scanner vans raises serious ethical questions, particularly concerning informed consent. Industry standards dictate that individuals being screened with radiation-emitting systems should be informed of this fact. While AS&E claims their vans comply with this standard through flashing lights during scans, the unmarked nature of the vehicles and the speed of potential scans may not provide adequate notice or opportunity for individuals to make informed decisions about exposure.
Prison Body Scanners: Transmission X-rays for Contraband Detection
Prisons have adopted transmission X-ray body scanners, such as the RadPRO SecurPASS, to combat the smuggling of contraband. These scanners, unlike the backscatter technology used in airport and mobile vans, utilize transmission X-rays that penetrate the body to create detailed images of internal organs and cavities, allowing for the detection of items hidden within the body.
The RadPRO SecurPASS offers two radiation settings, with the standard setting delivering a dose approximately ten times higher than an airport body scanner. A high-dose setting, for enhanced image quality, increases this exposure further, although still remaining below the radiation levels of a medical chest X-ray. Despite the relatively low dose compared to medical procedures, the routine use of these scanners in prisons, sometimes on both inmates and staff, raises concerns about cumulative radiation exposure over time. While manufacturers emphasize the effectiveness of these scanners in preventing contraband smuggling and ensuring prison safety, critics point to the dehumanizing aspect of “treating people like luggage” and the potential long-term health consequences of repeated X-ray scans.
Regulatory and Health Concerns
A significant issue surrounding security X-ray scanners is the lack of comprehensive federal regulation. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the agency responsible for regulating radiation-emitting devices, has limited authority over security equipment. Because these scanners are not classified as medical devices, they are not subject to pre-market safety approval by the FDA. The FDA’s regulatory power is largely limited to addressing manufacturers for excessive radiation emissions, not the users of these machines for their deployment practices.
Furthermore, against the advice of its own advisory panel, the FDA opted for voluntary industry guidelines for security scanners rather than establishing mandatory federal safety standards. These voluntary guidelines are set by a non-profit group largely composed of manufacturers and agencies that utilize X-ray technology, potentially creating a conflict of interest in setting stringent safety regulations.
The health risks associated with low-level radiation exposure are complex and not fully understood. While manufacturers argue that the radiation doses from their scanners are extremely low, and comparable to background radiation, scientific consensus indicates that any exposure to ionizing radiation carries some risk. The National Academy of Sciences has concluded that the risk of cancer mortality increases with cumulative radiation exposure, regardless of how small each dose may be. This raises concerns about the long-term health effects of widespread and repeated exposure to security X-ray scanners, especially for individuals who may be scanned frequently, such as border commuters, prison inmates, or residents of areas where mobile police car xray scanners are deployed. The fundamental question remains: does the benefit of increased security outweigh the potential health risks to the public?
Privacy Implications and Public Perception
Beyond health concerns, the use of police car xray scanners and similar technologies raises significant privacy issues. The ability to see through clothing and, in the case of transmission X-rays, into the body, is inherently intrusive. The covert deployment of mobile X-ray vans, without explicit informed consent from those being scanned, further exacerbates these privacy concerns. Critics argue that such practices treat citizens as suspects rather than free individuals, eroding fundamental privacy rights in the name of security. The analogy of “treating people like luggage,” used by a Virtual Imaging marketing manager, highlights the dehumanizing potential of these technologies and the shift towards a security-focused paradigm that may prioritize surveillance over individual liberties.
We Want to Hear Your Stories
To better understand the extent and impact of security X-ray scanner use, we are seeking personal accounts from individuals who have encountered these technologies. If you have had personal experience with police car xray scanners, border Z Portals, prison body scanners, or any other security X-ray devices, we invite you to share your story.
We are particularly interested in the following:
- Have you seen NYPD backscatter vans or similar police car xray scanner vans? If so, where and how were they being used?
- Have you gone through a Z Portal at a border crossing? What was your experience?
- If your car was scanned by a backscatter van by Customs or Border Patrol, were you asked to get out of the car, or did you remain inside?
- If you work in a prison or jail with an X-ray body scanner, how are they used?
- Have you encountered these technologies in any locations not mentioned in this article?
- Are you aware of other security X-ray products being used or developed?
Any information you can provide is valuable in helping to shed light on the growing use of these technologies and their implications for public safety and privacy.
Conclusion
The increasing deployment of police car xray scanners and other security X-ray technologies represents a significant shift in law enforcement and security practices. While these tools offer enhanced capabilities for detecting threats and contraband, their widespread use raises serious questions about public health, privacy, and regulatory oversight. The lack of robust federal regulations, coupled with the potential for both overt and covert deployment, necessitates a broader public discussion about the balance between security and individual rights. As these technologies become more pervasive, it is crucial to ensure transparency, accountability, and a thorough evaluation of the risks and benefits to safeguard both public safety and civil liberties.
