NYPD looks to scan people on the street for guns, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly says

The NYPD is looking at a new way to find people packing heat on the street, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Tuesday.

The technology, which is similar to infrared imaging, includes a mechanism that can detect the radiation emitting from a person's body, Kelly said during his State of the NYPD address.

Because the energy cannot travel through metal, a concealed gun can be detected from the image captured by the lens of the detector, Kelly said.

But the technology — which is being tested by the NYPD and the Defense Department — can be used only at a distance of 3 to 4 feet.

"This can be done from a short range," Kelly said. "We want a distance of at least 25 meters."

Police hope to install the devices on department vehicles in the near future to identify people carrying guns on the street.

"These are some of the things we're working on," Kelly said.

Kelly addressed the Police Foundation at the Regency Hotel on Park Ave.