Editing Heathrow Airport (section)

===Security===
Policing of the airport is the responsibility of the [[Aviation Security Operational Command Unit|aviation security]], a unit of the [[Metropolitan Police]], although [[the British Army]], including armoured vehicles of the [[Household Cavalry]], has occasionally been deployed at the airport during periods of heightened security.<ref>{{Cite news |date=11 February 2003 |title=Soldiers drafted in to increase Heathrow security |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/feb/11/september11.terrorism |access-date=7 May 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> [[Full body scanner]]s are now used at the airport, and passengers who refuse to use them are required to submit to a hand search in a private room.<ref name=scanners/> The scanners display passengers' bodies as cartoon figures, with indicators showing where concealed items may be.<ref name=scanners>{{cite web|url=https://www.heathrow.com/more/help-with-this-website/faqs/security-and-baggage |title=Security (body) scanners |publisher=Heathrow Airport |access-date=23 March 2018 |archive-date=24 March 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324102507/https://www.heathrow.com/more/help-with-this-website/faqs/security-and-baggage }}</ref>

For many decades Heathrow had a reputation for theft from baggage by baggage handlers. This led to the airport being nicknamed "Thiefrow", with periodic arrests of baggage handlers.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/05/28/archives/london-tightens-airport-security-scotland-yard-to-take-over-at.html |date=28 May 1974 |access-date=27 May 2021 |title=Scotland Yard to take over responsibility at "Thiefrow" |last=Arbose |first=Jules |work=[[The New York Times]] |archive-date=20 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120113059/https://www.nytimes.com/1974/05/28/archives/london-tightens-airport-security-scotland-yard-to-take-over-at.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/baggage-stealing-gang-seized-6300493.html |title=Heathrow baggage-stealing gang arrested |date=12 April 2012 |publisher=[[The Evening Standard]] |access-date=27 May 2021 |last=Davenport |first=Justin |archive-date=13 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151013145239/http://www.standard.co.uk/news/baggage-stealing-gang-seized-6300493.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Following the widespread disruption caused by reports of [[Gatwick Airport drone incident|drone sightings at Gatwick Airport]], and a subsequent incident at Heathrow, a drone-detection system was installed airport-wide to attempt to combat disruption caused by the illegal use of drones.<ref>{{cite news |title=Heathrow airport: Drone sighting halts departures |work=BBC News |date=8 January 2019 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46803713 |access-date=18 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/uv-online/heathrows-picks-new-c-uas-combat-drone-disruption/ |title=Heathrow picks C-UAS to combat drone disruption |access-date=13 March 2019 |archive-date=9 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191109111036/https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/uv-online/heathrows-picks-new-c-uas-combat-drone-disruption/ |url-status=live }}</ref>