Body Scans And Bomb Sniffing Dogs Spark Privacy Debate
PALM SPRINGS -The question people at Palm Springs Airport and others nationwide may soon have to ask themselves: What are we more comfortable with? An airport scanner taking near naked photos of us or will we be ever be willing to let a dog to sniff all over our bodies – no matter where their nose ends up?
Bear the German Shepherd is trained in Banning. He’s trained to sniff out explosives for the FBI and Los Angeles Police. He can pick out explosives in hidden compartments easily. Dogs like him are used at Palm Springs Airport. The problem, they’re not trained to sniff through clothes.
Dog trainer Patrick Beltz says, “That I know of, nobody has been given a green light for dogs to smell bodies. In America, it could be considered very intrusive to make you stand still while my dog went to your groin area and smelled around it.”
Los Angeles Port Police Officer William Yocham adds, “They could be taught and I have every confidence he could do it but right now the legalities of it are just astronomical.”
The same thing goes for full body scanners showing every hidden item on a person’s body.
We asked Palm Springs Airport passengers if they felt comfortable going through a full-body scanner. Ali Momeni answers, “No, I’m not comfortable about that. The pictures I saw on TV, it’s kind of like a naked picture. I’m not really sure I’m comfortable, but if it needs to be done, I’ll do it.”
Joan Lodovisi replies, “Why not, if it keeps us safe?”
While Pauline Paul says, “Yes, we won’t have to take our shoes off or anything. Just walk through and that’s it. It’d be so quick.”
There is a bill going through the House and Senate right now that would ban the use of full body scanners as a primary security measure on privacy grounds. The Utah Congressman who’s pushing that bill realizes the recent terror attempt may hurt the bill’s chances.
Palm Springs Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack, released a statement telling the Homeland Security Secretary to do a better job or step aside.
That statement is linked on this page.
