Coursework piece which I both wrote and laid out in Indesign.

1. THE BURNING
QUESTION
With Joanna Lowy
Scanty Security?
The Home Office recently warned that the threat of international ter-
rorism to the UK has been raised from “substantial” to “severe.” In an
age where roughly 30,000 commuters an hour are travelling through the
exits and entrances of London Underground stations, is it naïve to as-
sume that this threat applies to air-travel only? As the European day for
victims of terrorism approaches, it may well be time to investigate
It may be hard to imag-
ine, but there was a time, before
September 11th, when travelling
abroad was relatively simple.
Since then, billions of pounds
have been spent on tightening
up security measures in airports
worldwide.
A similar pattern seems to
have emerged once again, a mere
nine years later. The attempted This is a common sight
bombing of a plane over Detroit at an airport, but would
on Christmas Day, coupled with we ever see this on the
Home Secretary Alan Johnson’s underground?
announcement that Britain is now
on terror alert, seems to have weapons and explosives, were oversee the trial scanners on the
caused, once again, a frenzy with placed at Paddington station for Heathrow Express platforms of
air-travel. An urgent review into a four-week trial at the start of the station.
airport security is well underway, 2006, as a result of a three-day Quickly dubbed “The Tardis” by
and the controversial full-body conference following the July 7 passengers, it became quite clear
scanners, which digitally strip bombings. The government admit- that a practice like this could not
each passenger, have been ordered ted that full airport style security be adopted permanently. “There is
for all British Airports. was impossible at UK stations a place for body scanners, but it’s
But is airport security because of the huge numbers of just not practical to do because of
enough? The Madrid train bomb- people using them every day, but the large numbers of people who
ings of 2004, and the London suggested that something was go in and out of stations every
bombings of 2005, suggest not. better than nothing, and so during day”, Simon Lubin of British
Four years ago, a number the month of January, a dedicated Transport Police says. “You could
of scanners, which randomly team of British Transport Police stop everyone, make them show
searched passengers for both Officer’s were commissioned to identity, and go through scanners,

2. but the rail system would grind types of technology available, he alarm. It is not effective for the scanners. The plan they now have
to a halt”, he continues. “You explains: - ‘tidy’ terrorist, who carefully in development is to use mobile
can’t talk about whether or not it’s “First there is the straight- wraps the explosives up.” scanners which, when combined
needed, because it’s impractical forward metal detection. This uses Both machines, Mr Kant with intelligence, offer the poten-
either way.” magnets to detect any metal, and says, are not quick enough for tial to screen the huge volumes of
Peter Kant, Vice President it can range in sensitivity, being underground travel, “because un- passengers in mass transit sce-
of global government affairs at programmed to pick up even the like aviation travel, the public are narios.
Rapiscan Systems, one of the tiniest trace of metal. It is highly not accustomed to allowing for an Mr McNicol agrees with
largest technological companies sensitive but only detects metals, extra hour for security.” this logic, and hopes the UK can
in the world making everything so other weapons are problem- Then there are the three deploy a similar approach.
from hand held metal detectors to atic.” controversial types of body “Stations are targets that
the full body scanners which are “Second is trace detection. scanners currently being used in are very wide open”, he says. “I
currently in airports worldwide, Puffer machines blow puffs of airport security. The Backscatter do think some type of security is
disagrees: air on to the body, with an aim to X-Ray scanner irradiates the sub- needed, but the number of train
“The attacks from a few dislodge small particles of explo- ject to penetrate clothes, and with stations is huge, and the cost of
years ago show there is a risk to sives, which the detection in the the penetration that scatters back, doing it in each station is impos-
underground and railroad modes machine then analyses. However, any objects carried on the body sible.”
of transportation”, he says. “I it is focused on explosives, so under clothes are revealed. The daily underground
“We would therefore need
think there should be some type wouldn’t detect metallics. The second type, the Ac- rush means aiport secu-
intelligence to be able to target
of security in train stations, but This was tested in high tive Microwave scanner, sends rity is just not a viable
people”, he continues, “and would
there are currently no orders at the
traffic environments in America”, micro-waves which penetrate the option
have to highlight the types of peo-
moment to install anything. Com- he explains “and it was found subject, and subsequently receives scanning in real time ensures that former employee of QinetiQ, an- ple we’d want to search.”
mon questions which arise are ‘is that they got dirty very quickly the reflected signals which high- automatic detection is possible, other company working with the “Checking bodies alone is
it warranted’, and ‘if it is warrant-
so needed to be cleaned. An- light the edges of objects. without creating any queues what- PMW technology, claims that “in also not good enough”, Mr Kant
ed, how would it be integrated?’” other problem was that medical Both produce high-resolu- soever. all the testing that we undertook, explains. “Bombs are often car-
There are four different chemicals would also set off the tion images, but at the cost of tak- “If this works, we would it was unlikely that it would have ried in bags, or other carry-ons,
ing between five and six seconds be able to deploy them in stations, picked up the current explosive and therefore you would need
“On the underground, 60 seconds is time per person. but it would only scan people devices being used by al-Qaeda.” other security scanners as well.
people just don’t have. It’s a substantial John McNicol, an em- as they walked past”, Mr McNi- However, a spokeswoman for Qi- And again, this all takes time.”
ployee at MMIC Solutions, one of col continues. “This is the only netiQ said the technology “should It would seem that security
challenge.” several technological companies capability that would work in sta- be part of a layered approach to in train stations is a necessity, and
working on the third type of body tions.” security.” without it we may well be enhanc-
scanner, the Passive Millimetre Mr Kant argues that all Cost is another factor ing an already severe risk. How-
Wave, believes that security is three types of body scanners are which must be taken into con- ever, the very factor which makes
needed in train stations, but agrees now working in real time, but this sideration when weighing up the the notion so viable in the first
with Mr Kant that: “On the under- isn’t the issue. benefits of security installation, place-the millions of commuters
ground, 60 seconds is time people “It is not the time taken as each scanner costs between whose lives are at risk every time
just don’t have. It’s a substantial by the scanners which is the £100,000 and £150,000. they travel en masse-is also ironi-
challenge.” problem”, he explains, “but the Authorities such as the cally the factor which is consen-
He believes that the PMW, time taken by the operators. If Transport Security Authority in sually preventing the measures
which is the newest technology there is a detection, how can you the US have concluded that due from being implemented. This is
he’s working on, would solve this track that passenger? There can to time and money, it is not viable because the feeling at the moment
problem. It works by scanning be no check points like there are to install these costly scanners is that the definite time and cost
the naturally occurring millime- at airports, and this becomes the in train stations. Additionally, in it would add on to every passen-
tre waves emitted by the human challenge.” crowded underground stations, ger’s journey is a risk far greater
body, which reveals any objects Recent reports also ques- passengers of interest are often than any potential terrorist attack
The three types of body scanner from L-R; Backscatter X-ray, Ac- under clothing without transmit- tioned the efficiency of this type partially hidden behind others, which may or may not occur.
tive Microwave, and Passive Millimetre Wave ting any radiation at all. The quick of technology. Ben Wallace, where they are not visible to