Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Mower County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday morning approved $5,000 to be put toward hiring a consultant in helping the Mower County Jail install and learn to operate two scanners that will be an unobtrusive way to determine if contraband is being brought into the jail.

The consultant, hired through, Quality Radiologic Consultants, will help the county in a number of ways including the development of specifications in order to meet Minnesota Department of Health requirements.

Similar to airport scanners, the two scanners were purchased using funds from the one-time public safety money distributed by the Minnesota Legislature. As part of their work, the consultant will help assure the scanners meet those MDH requirements.

Combined, the two scanners cost over $300,000 of the one-time money and will serve the jail in a couple different ways, according to Mower County Sheriff Steve Sandvik.

The first way is that it spots contraband in clothes or in a person’s body whether swallowed or otherwise. The second way is that it is a more dignified way of conducting body searches for both the person coming in and jail staff.

Sandvik also said that it will provide more safety and help cut down on potential overdoses for anybody possibly bringing drugs into the jail.

“I think this makes our facility safer,” Sandvik told the board.

Sandvik said that he expects the scanners to arrive this week and set-up and training to take place not long after they are installed.