In a novel approach to cracking down on knife crime in London, British police said on Tuesday they are installing an airport-style scanner to check passengers boarding buses in the city.
The metal-detecting scanner will be used at Hammersmith Bus Garage in west London, a major transport hub, as part of a trial to combat the carrying of knives, the city’s Metropolitan Police said.
If it proves a success, the scheme will be extended to other part of London.
People using the Hammersmith depot will pass through the scanner, and if something is detected, police will search them by hand to check for knives or other weapons.
Britain’s government has launched a series of measures in recent years to halt a growth in the numbers of people carrying knives, including stiff prison sentences for those caught with them.
”It is hoped that this operation will send a clear message to those who choose to flout the law by carrying and using knives on the streets that the Metropolitan Police will not tolerate such behaviour,” said the force’s Detective Chief Inspector Gary Baldock. — Sapa-AFP