New York City Police Eye Trucks as Potential Vehicles for Terrorists

The New York City Police Department (NYPD), concerned that the commercial trucks that go in and out of the city each day could be used as terrorist weapons, has established checkpoints where the trucks are screened and subjected to several tests.

“We’ve always been concerned about the potential for trucks and other vehicles to be used to convey explosives or other weapons,” New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said. “We also want to screen against the possibility of sensitive cargos being diverted for use in an attack.”

Police who man the checkpoints are inspecting the trucks for radiation, fertilizer, explosives, and chlorine. Trucks or drivers who lack ID or paperwork are removed from the road, police said.

Dump trucks and cement trucks receive extra attention because they are capable of smashing through security checkpoints, says NYPD counterterrorism official Jonathan Duecker.

The NYPD is currently developing a variety of mobile radiation detectors, including devices for police cars and bicycles and a backpack-like detector that can be worn by police officers in stadiums. Some 1,000 officers already wear pager-sized radiation detectors on their belts, and another 1,000 such devices are on their way.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) from the Seattle Times (06/12/07); Hays, Tom.