The Stephens County Jail has implemented new technology to help jailers detect potential incoming contraband.
The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office shared in a Facebook post that the jail received the Tek84 Intercept Body Scanner in January of this year and officially implemented the technology into daily operations in late March.
The scanner allows jail staff to detect several contraband items including drugs, cell phones and weapons. The machine is equipped with a wall-mounted touch screen monitor, photo-matching and an ICI thermal scanner to detect possible health concerns. The features allow officers to observe inconsistencies that would reflect illegal contraband or medical concerns.
The post said that within the first week of use, staff discovered over half an ounce of suspected methamphetamine and a small amount or marijuana while booking a female inmate into the jail. The technology allowed officers to locate and confiscate the drugs more easily than before, according to SCSO.
The Tek84 scanner was purchased using money from the opioid response fund as a part of an effort to prevent illegal drugs from entering the jail with inmates. The purchase was approved in November by the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office.
“Fighting the drug epidemic is a top priority for the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office,” Sheriff Rusty Fullbright said in the post. “By using this cutting-edge technology, we can hopefully intercept dangerous drugs and other contraband before they reach our inmates and stop the dangerous flow of illegal substances within our facility. This is just one of the many steps we are taking to curb the drug crisis in our community and ensure that our detention center remains safe and secure for everyone.”
