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November 16th, 2014

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By the end of next year people traveling through Copenhagen Airport will whiz through security quicker with the installation of new passport scanners.

All EU citizens traveling in or out of the Schengen area and who have passports with chips will be able to make use of the automatic scanners, reports DR.

The new machinery is not only being installed for the ease of travellers, but also for the sake of accuracy and more efficient law enforcement.

“With the scanners we can focus our efforts better,” Steen Pedersen, police inspector for Copenhagen police, told DR. “People who have nothing to hide will quickly go through the system without any need to interact with police. We can then focus on cases where there are problems.”

The scanners will free up police to follow up on checks should the scanners alert them of fake or stolen passports being used or if someone comes up wanted on international registries.

READ MORE: Politicians considering new passport scanners to tackle illegal entry

A proven system
Automatic scanners of this type already exist in some major European airports, such as Heathrow and Gatwick in London and Schipol in Amsterdam.

Pedersen said that since these major airports have established the scanners the system has proven to be safe and effective. He also said there should not be any “teething problems” for Copenhagen as they have waited a couple years to see if the system worked elsewhere before going ahead with the installation here.

The National Police and Copenhagen Airport will be footing the bill for the scanners, which are planned to be installed and in use by the end of 2015.