NYPD Testing Concealed Gun-Detecting Cameras

The NYPD is testing a new camera system that can see if a person is carrying a concealed gun.

By scanning a person’s naturally-emitted radiation, it’s possible to see if something is blocking that radiation (presumably using infrared sensors) it shows up as black on a green body.

“If something is obstructing the flow of that radiation, for example, a weapon, the device will highlight that object. These images are from a recent test we conducted with an officer carrying a hidden handgun. You get a sense of why we’re so hopeful about this tool,” said police commissioner Ray Kelly at an address covering the new scanner.

This technology is being rolled out along side the New York stop-and-frisk program, although the NYPD is still considering how best to use it, and is working with legal advisers to keep things above-board. The stop-and-frisk program is already pretty controversial, and civil rights organizations are suspicious about it.

“There’s a lot of unknowns here a lot of unanswered questions,” said Darius Charney of the Center for Constitutional Rights to WABC-TV. “Is it going to be a better alternative to aggressive Stop and Frisk or is it going to turn into another civil rights or civil liberties disaster?