Last Updated on April 16, 2024 by Jawad Ali
Customs and border protection are essential to enhance a country’s security. It’s a vital job that requires top-notch training and specialised tools. The individuals tasked with this job are usually under great pressure to control immigration and check the goods and transits. They do this to ensure no contraband or illegal immigrants find their way into the country. Therefore, these security people need all the help they can get to make their work easier and more manageable. Apart from explosive vapour detectors and sniffer dogs, border and customs police officers can use some essential equipment, including the following.
Security Metal Detectors
There are various types of security metal detectors, most of which are common at airports. These pieces of equipment have helped maintain security levels when it comes to customs and border protection. They come in two categories, but their purpose is the same, to detect metals, except they have different signal strengths. They include the following;
Walk-through Metal Detectors
These are sometimes referred to as knife arches or archway metal detectors. These are ideal when there is a need for a deeper, thorough screening for a large group of people. These deep search metal detectors are mainly used in airports and transport hubs. These metal detectors can effectively scan from head to toe and raise an alert at the exact location of the detected metal object. The only downside of these machines is that they are large and therefore only suitable for static installations. That is where handheld metal detectors come into play.
Handheld Metal Detectors
Handheld metal detectors are mostly used alongside walk-through metal detectors, which are great in portability. There are several models, sizes and sensitivity to choose from. They are precise and easy to use.
Random Search Selectors
Making random selections can be challenging for border security. This is because humans can never make a reliable random selection without being biased, even when they think they are being fair. The possibility of being accused of favouritism and discrimination is high. This is where the random search selectors come in. They remove the influence of border patrol from the selection process, thereby removing any potential for bias.
Their operation mechanism is pretty simple. They have a big red button that, when you press, the device will either return as “Search” or “Pass.” This relieves the operatives from making this choice alone, thus increasing fairness. These types of equipment are essential in situations where vehicles, people, baggage and goods need to be randomly selected for custom checks and screenings.
Search, And Inspection Mirrors
The borders are constantly busy, thus the need to make security searches quick and effective. While screening vehicles, whether small or large, it’s vital to inspect the inside and outside, and ensure they are safe. This is where the search and inspection mirrors come in. They are the best alternative for border patrol agents engaged in daily security screening.
There are trolley mirrors which are handy when there is a need to search the underside of vehicles. They save the operatives the need to continue bending and thus prevent possible backaches. Some of these search mirrors also come with lighting, which helps illuminate the under vehicles for easy inspection. These security search inspection mirrors are a must-have for border and customs operatives. They provide easy visibility into otherwise hard-to-reach areas speeding up the inspection process and thus saving time.
Border and customs security involve interaction with many vehicles, people and goods. Therefore, efficiency is paramount. However, customs and border operatives must ensure they don’t compromise safety and security while trying to meet throughput demands. Therefore, there is a high need for careful planning and consideration to ascertain the required skills, resources, and capabilities are where they need to be. There is no doubt that these pieces of equipment will help the border operatives maintain safety and security while managing people’s and vehicles’ movements at the border.
