Kenya Police: Our Fake Bomb Detectors Are Real

First time accepted submitter NF6X writes "Following the conviction of British conman James McCormick for selling fake bomb detectors which were in fact rebadged novelty golf ball divining rods, Nairobi police chief Benson Githinji stated to reporters that his department's fake bomb detectors are serviceable, and contributed towards a recent elimination of successful grenade attacks."

Comments

Re:no testing I guess?

[Hatta]

Police work in any country is more about the appearance of security than actual security. It doesn't matter if it works. It only matters if it keeps people calm.

I'm not advocating this as the way it should be, just the way it is. We'd all actually be safer if we switched to evidence based policing. But then the government couldn't get away with shit like the War on Drug Users.

Re:"Security theatre" for real?

[Impy the Impiuos Imp]

They would be useful, even if fake, if terrorists thought them real and skipped attempts.

FBI and friends use lie detectors even though they are hogwash. I assume it's for the same reason: to scare people rather than use as a physical filter. Only the high-level strategists need know it doesn't work -- the plebe agents don't.