By Ricardo Roura
23 Oct 2024, 10:16 PM EDT
During this week, Metro Los Angeles is testing new technology to detect hidden weapons in the agency’s efforts to raise safety levels in the public transportation system, which has been besieged by violence.
Metro will carry out its tests the rest of the week, mainly at Union Stationbefore making a formal presentation to the media next week.
The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority said it will evaluate the technologies through December to determine if they can be an additional resource to improve security on public transportation.
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“The weapons detection systems that Metro will be testing offer an efficient and non-invasive detection method to detect and identify hidden threats without physical contact and eliminate the need to remove personal belongings,” Metro said in a statement.
The public transportation system makes efforts to increase safety in the system, so look for technological tools that help with this purpose.
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The new technology is evaluated in the midst of a wave of violencewhich includes murders, kidnappings and attacks on bus drivers, a situation that has impacted the Los Angeles public transportation system this year.
Keep reading: Metro Los Angeles takes action after bus hijacking
In one of the most recent incidents, a man shot and killed a passenger when he hijacked a buswhich led to a chase by Los Angeles Police Department patrols.
On the night of September 25, the subject, identified as Lamont Campbellwho is currently in custody, allegedly boarded the passenger bus, pulled out a firearm and shot to death passenger Anthony Rivera, 48, who was returning home from his work day at Dodger Stadium.
Metro Los Angeles officials have approved resources to improve safety, especially on buses, after several operators were victims of acts of violence.
Keep reading:
· Man found dead on Metro tracks in Los Angeles
· Violent aggression in the Los Angeles transportation system
· Man stabbed at a bus stop hours after attack against a Metro driver