By The newspaper
24 Jul 2024, 08:47 AM EDT
Several New York subway stations will be equipped with metal detectors to scan for weapons starting later this week, a measure that aims to help the NYPD reduce crime in the city but has been questioned by civil rights advocates on grounds of efficiency and privacy.
At a press conference yesterday at City Hall, Mayor Eric Adams defended the initiative and explained that the detectors, produced by the company Evolv Technology, will be implemented starting “Thursday or Friday,” located next to some Metro turnstiles as part of a pilot program, he reported. Daily News.
The mayor did not specify which stations the detectors will be activated at. “I think this will become the norm for us,” said Adams, a former NYPD officer who since taking office in January 2022 has promised to combat violence on the subway by increasing police presence, a measure that was backed by Governor Kathy Hochul with National Guard troops and state troopers (NYSP). But crime has continued, including homicides, although the latest figures report a 7.8% drop in serious crimes on the subway compared to the same year last year.
Adams spokeswoman Amaris Cockfield said no taxpayer money would be spent on the pilot program, which is expected to last 30 days. She also declined to specify which stations the detectors would be installed, citing security reasons.
The Legal Aid Society and other civil rights advocates have argued that the detectors could be an invasion of privacy and a nuisance for New Yorkers using the subway. Even earlier this year, Peter George, Evolv’s chief executive, told investors that the subway is not “a good use case” for the company’s technology.
Controversy has also escalated since it was reported that two major donors to Adams’ campaign have sizable investments in Evolv. At yesterday’s press conference, the mayor said Evolv has not been selected to permanently run a gun detection program on the Metro. “We’re going to try it out and see what it’s like,” he said.
He also told reporters that he welcomes other producers of similar technology to approach his administration with proposals. But he did not say whether the administration has been in communication with companies other than Evolv on the matter.