Virtual Imaging: versatile detection at low radiation dosage

be scanned — suspects being booked and existing inmates—comparison imaging was initiated with both the MV and RadPRO SecurPASS Systems.

On the first day of the trial, 75 percent were scanned by the MV scanner, and 25 percent by SecurPASS. On the second day it was 50 percent and 50 percent. On the third day of the trial, 75 percent of those needed to be scanned were sent to the SecurPASS machine, and only 25 percent were still using the MV scanner. On the fourth day, management told Wolfe and George Brown, President of MAS Security Solutions, that they were convinced: they shut off the MV scanner, and from that point on, 100 percent of inmate would be scanned by SecurPASS.

There were two reasons for this decision: the quality of the scanned image and speed. The image quality from the MV scanner was not acceptable, especially when the maximum security inmates were scanned with double metal shackles on and the resultant artifacts created when the milliwave signal struck the metal. Wolfe says that in his view and from comments by security personnel looking at the images, they could not be absolutely certain that no contraband or weapons were being smuggled into the jail. The images produced by SecurPASS, on the other hand, were far superior: sharp, clear, and detailed. Immediately Cook County was identifying contraband that they were previously not seeing.

Speed and efficiency were an important factor, too, in the jail management’s decision. This was Chicago, so when the trials were held in early November, chill was already in the air. In order to be scanned by the MV scanner, people had to remove their overcoats and shoes and place them, together with bags, on a separate, airport-like conveyer belt to be scanned and walk through a metal detector. Taking off coats and shoes and placing them on a separate machine, then collecting them at the other end takes time and adds to the confusion and hassle.

RadPRO SecurPASS made all of this unnecessary. People to be scanned kept all their cloths on — and held their shoes in their hands next to their body, with the shoe eyelets facing forward. The RadPRO SecurPASS platform then moved them through the portal.

The Cook County Jail is now planning to replace all its MV systems with SecurPASS Systems.

The Cook County decision is not surprising. The two important criteria of machines built to screen for security