PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Thanks to the help of newly installed body scanners, staff stopped an inmate from sneaking a gun hidden in his body into a Phoenix-area jail.
The incident happened at the Maricopa County Sheriff’s intake, transfer, and release center. On Sunday, the body scanners found that an inmate had a concealed gun. Despite passing through two manual searches, the weapon went unnoticed.
“The success of the body scanner affirms that the decision to integrate this technology into jail protocols was a wise investment,” states Sheriff Sheridan. “By detecting the hidden firearm, the scanner not only prevented a security threat but also reinforced the facility’s commitment to proactive, innovative solutions in staff and inmate safety.”
Newly installed body scanners helped jail staff stop an inmate from bringing a concealed gun into a Phoenix-area facility.(Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)
The scanners were first added in July after MCSO made national headlines for more than a dozen overdoses at the Estrella Jail within three weeks. One of those inmates later died.
The LineV scanners are full-body scanners that emit less than 0.25 microsieverts of radiation, which is equivalent to one one-hundredth of the dose of a chest X-ray. Three types of scanners are being installed. They are:
Conpass Smart DV
- Dual-angle, transmission full-body X-ray scanner for correctional environments.
- Has radiation shutters
- Features real-time dose metering
ClearPass
- Rapid, non-invasive imaging completed in just 3 seconds
- Delivers high-resolution threat detection for effective screening
ClearPass Ci
- Compact and mobile partial-body scanner
- Designed for targeted inspections (e.g., groin or torso areas)
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2025 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.