The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office recently installed a new full-body scanner at the county jail in an effort to prevent inmates from smuggling contraband into the facility.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility is the first detention facility in the state of Florida to have the new technology.
The Sheriff’s Office said the scanner is much more efficient and less intrusive than the strip search method previously used at the jail. A strip search typically takes 15 minutes, but a scan takes just 4 seconds, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Unlike scanners found in airports that can only detect contraband concealed under clothing, the new scanner can identify anything concealed under clothing or inside a person’s body cavity, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
“The importance of thorough searches of inmates cannot be stressed enough,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in a media release. “In an environment like a jail, detention deputies rely on search procedures to ensure the safety of our inmates and staff. Better security means better safety for all.”
The Intercept Scanner is developed, engineered, assembled and manufactured by Tek84 Engineering and cost $149,000 to purchase install and train deputies, according to the Sheriff’s Office.