Like the TSA, the NYPD enjoys collecting high-tech toys, and announced in 2012 that they too would be joining the body scanner game. In 2013 they published their recent acquisition of a van-mounted body scanner that can penetrate your clothing from across the street to see what you’ve got.  Upon hearing of this, I immediately sued the NYPD, seeking an injunction against their use.  A federal judge ruled that my suit was too early because I couldn’t yet show they were going to use it illegally.

So, I’ve been patiently waiting for the NYPD to go and use one of their vans in public to file a motion to re-open the case.  But, it appears the NYPD got the message: the scanners have been “collecting dust” and the NYPD announced that they have abandoned all plans to ever use it.  Why?

But civil libertarians raised privacy concerns and worried whether other items might be mistaken for a gun, leading to bad arrests.

The NYPD said that after an internal review, it was decided the machine would cause more problems than it was worth.

The Daily News was nice enough to call me for a quote, and I’ll definitely be considering this announcement a victory!