New body scanner being used at Levy County Detention Bureau to find contraband
Levy County Sheriff's Office (LCSO)
Bronson, Florida - The Levy County Sheriff’s Office has implemented a new tool, the Tek 84 Intercept Body Scanner, in its ongoing battle against the introduction of contraband into the Levy County Detention Bureau in Bronson.
The Tek 84 Intercept Body Scanner uses small doses of radiation to provide an accurate image of the arrested person’s body, outlining any foreign objects that may have been ingested into or concealed on the body. The body scanner uses levels of radiation that have been approved by the FDA and other safety organizations, to ensure the safety of pregnant women and people who utilize pacemakers, insulin pumps and other types of assistive electronic medical devices. Arrested individuals delivered to the Levy County Detention Bureau will be subject to a scan by the Tek 84 Intercept Body Scanner.
According to LCSO Lt. Scott Tummond, Levy County Sheriff Bobby McCallum and others staff members of the LCSO spent many hours researching, locating, purchasing and implementing this equipment into daily use by the detention bureau, and the newly installed device has already proven to be effective. On April 6, 2022, when a woman was arrested for violating a condition of her probation, she was asked, prior to entering the detention bureau, if she had any contraband concealed on her body, and she said she did not. She was then scanned by the Tek 84 Intercept Body Scanner, and the presence of a foreign object was identified. The item, concealed in her clothing, was identified as methamphetamine, so the inmate was additionally charged with possession of a controlled substance and introduction of contraband into a detention facility. In Levy County, a bond of $100,000 is issued during an inmate's first appearance in court for such a charge.
"Detention Officers assigned to the booking area have received training and are actively using the device," said Lt. Scott Snyder, Chief of Security at the Levy County Detention Bureau. “Achieving this goal and acquiring this equipment will make the staff and those detained in our custody safer. We will detect illegal drugs and weapons, well before there is ever an opportunity for these contraband items to be used or introduced into the inmate population.”