Los Angeles Metro is testing new concealed weapons technology this week as the transit agency attempts to increase security on a system that has been beleaguered by violence.
Metro will demonstrate the safety system to the media on Tuesday as it goes through its first tests at Union Station this week.
The agency said it will assess the technologies through December to see if they can be an effective, additional safety layer.
“The weapons detection systems Metro will be testing offer an efficient, noninvasive screening method to detect and identify hidden threats without physical contact and eliminate the need to remove personal belongings,” Metro said in a statement.
The safety technology is being assessed amid a wave of violence including killings, hijackings, and attacks on bus drivers that have plagued Los Angeles’ public transportation system this year.
During one of the most recent incidents, a man shot and killed a passenger, hijacked the bus and led police on a pursuit through the streets of Los Angeles.
Lamont Campbell, who is currently in custody, allegedly boarded the bus with several passengers on Sept. 25, pulled out a firearm and shot 48-year-old Anthony Rivera multiple times, killing him. Â
