Schumer Renews Call For Suicide Bomb Detectors At Penn Station

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — New York Sen. Chuck Schumer is calling on federal officials to give the go-ahead for bomb-detecting technology in Penn Station and other transit hubs in New York City.

Schumer first recommended the technology following a 2017 bombing in the subway tunnels between Penn Station and Port Authority. The technology — known as Stand Off Explosive Detection Technology — can identify the presence of an explosive device such as a pipe bomb or suicide vest and immediately alert security personnel to the presence of the threat, Schumer said.

Despite positive results in testing, the Transportation Security Administration has not approved the technology for permanent use because it's still under development. The TSA tested the technology in Penn Station in 2018.

Schumer said Sunday that the technology is especially important due to rising tensions with Iran. In the days following the killing of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassim Soleimani, the NYPD increased its counterterrorism efforts at major city sites.

"Amid tensions with Iran, security concerns and the constant threat of lone-wolf terror, which we have already seen in our subway system, the feds need to plot the course to make this technology install-ready. Whether the hurdle is related to cost, complexity or whatever else, the bottom line is that we need to overcome it so law enforcement can have another critical intel tool at the ready," Schumer said in a statement.

The TSA has been working on Stand Off Explosive Detection Technology since 2004, according to Schumer's office. It has not been deployed permanently, but has been used to secure large events such as the 2014 Super Bowl, the New York senator said.

Schumer called on the agency to come before Congress and brief lawmakers on why the technology is still in development. If cost of for local agencies is a factor, Schumer said he will urge the federal government to explore ways to help fund use of the technology at transit authorities such as the MTA and Port Authority.

"All we actually know right now is that for the past sixteen years we have been testing. It’s time to start using this kind of resource," Schumer said in a statement.