Lothian and Borders Police have issued some guidance about the new body scanners at Edinburgh Airport.
“The introduction of security scanners at Edinburgh Airport represent another layer of security designed to protect traveller safety. The purpose of the scanner is to detect any concealed threat or contraband being carried by passengers.
Lothian and Borders Police welcome the extensive safeguards developed to protect privacy as the image produced by the scanner is a generic stick-like figure with no distinguishable features, meaning individuals cannot be recognised.
We acknowledge some people may be apprehensive about the implications for passenger privacy; however we support our partners at Edinburgh Airport in providing accurate information about the technology in order to alleviate any concerns.
Edinburgh Airport is required to introduce security scanners (also known as body scanners) by the Department for Transport (DfT). The project is owned and managed solely by Edinburgh Airport and went live on 1 September 2012.
The scanners at Edinburgh Airport will be an additional screening measure used for all flights departing from the airport. Edinburgh Airport can assure passengers selection for scanning will not be based on personal characteristics such as disability, sex, gender reassignment, age, race, religion or belief or sexual orientation.
Edinburgh Airport will communicate their use of this equipment to passengers via their website and by using banners, posters, information leaflets and display screens. There is an Edinburgh Airport information leaflet here produced by Lothian and Borders Police.
In addition to this information provided by the Airport, there is public information/guidance on the DfT website which includes a Code of Practice for the Acceptable Use of Security Scanners in an Aviation Security Environment and an Equality Impact Assessment Document.”
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It is ridiculous to suggest that this enormous violation of our fundamental rights, which has already been outlawed by the European Union, will do anything to improve security. In fact, there have already been countless cases in the US where prohibitted items have NOT been detected by these scanners, including guns and knives. According to the Dept for Transport, the installation of compulsory scanning is in response to the 2009 Underwear Bomber case. What they have continually failed to communicate to us all is that the inept, so-called Underwear Bomber, actually departed from Schiphol airport in Amsterdam which already had the same technology that Edinburgh is now installing, and they failed to detect anything!
This government does not take airport security seriously. Last year the DfT published its list of approved airport security providers. That list included office cleaning companies! It is high time the government started taking airport security seriously and stopped being ‘yes’men to the security industry lobbyists. It is also time that this government stopped breaking the European law, which it is by not providing a screening alternative.
Even in now paranoid America, travellers get the choice of a pat down if they are selected for the body scanner. No such choice here. Police state indeed. The way to fightback is to now do what I do – spend ZERO at airports that have body scanners (an outrageous invasion of privacy). Better, take the train. This seems to be the only way consumers can fight back.
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