Member Center

Crime Trackers

Crimetrackers: Hidden threat

Posted: May 17, 2011 2:31 AM
Updated: May 17, 2011 2:57 AM


Bookmark and Share
Rating:

0.0 (0 votes)

TUCSON - When inmates are booked into the Pima County jail just what are they trying to sneak in?

Video surveillance provided by the Pima County jail shows a woman reaching into her sock, pulling out crystal meth and then putting it in her mouth attempting to swallow it.

Corrections officers see this through the video monitors approach her and tell her to spit it out. She finally does.

Lt. Sean Stewart who heads Security Services says, "Had she swallowed that it probably would have killed her or at least made her extremely ill."

On a daily basis, corrections officers like Todd Mattas often find contraband during pat downs.

"We're the first line of defense as far as preventing any new arrestees from getting injured as well as staff."

Lt. Stewart says inmates will try anything to smuggle in drugs, weapons, and even cash.

"You'll find stuff taped to the inner thigh up near the groin area."

Inmates getting booked have to go thru a metal detector much like the airports, also like the airport a Morpho detection machine.

Sgt. Steve Street says, "It detects any drugs that anybody has on their hands, their clothing any part of their body we decide to test and we do it randomly."

If the strength reading is 3-point-1 or higher, the inmates are stripped searched.

Lt. Stewart says, "Its just one slippery slope if that stuff gets into your housing unit within a week that whole housing unit could be out of control."

One more tool to keep the jail as safe and secure as possible.

Not every inmate is stripped search the U-S Supreme court says, officers have to have probable cause to do that.

Comments

Get Adobe Flash player

KVOA.com is Social!

Most Popular

DON'T MISS THESE!

Thumbnail
HALF-OFFERS

Why Pay Full Price for the Things You Want?

Thumbnail
KRISTI'S KIDS LIFESAVER 2012

Help save lives this summer!

Thumbnail
NEWS 4 TUCSON ON FACEBOOK

Become a Facebook Fan!

Thumbnail
@KVOA ON TWITTER

Follow us!

Thumbnail
BECOME A MEMBER

Sign up on KVOA.com for newsletters, exclusive deals, and more!

Thumbnail
KVOA.COM LATEST CONTESTS

Win! Win! Win!

Thumbnail
KVOA MOBILE APPS

Get news, weather and more on your smartphone and tablet!

Thumbnail
TEXT ALERTS

Get texts for news, traffic, deals and more!

Thumbnail
KRISTI'S KIDS

Stories and videos with Kristi's Kids

Thumbnail
NEWS 4 TUCSON @ 4

What's happening on News 4 @ 4

Thumbnail
ADVERTISE WITH KVOA.COM

Let us help grow your business

Thumbnail
COMMUNITY CALENDAR

What's happening?

Thumbnail
KVOA PROGRAM SCHEDULE

What's on KVOA and when!

Thumbnail
CONTACT US

Contact info for our department heads

Thumbnail
MEET US!

KVOA's on air personalities!

Thumbnail
KVOA CAREERS

Work at News 4 Tucson

Thumbnail
RSS FEEDS

Complete feeds of all KVOA.com stories