The NYPD plans to test metal detectors equipped with artificial intelligence technology in subway stations in a move to keep guns out of New York City’s transit system, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Tuesday.
“This is our Sputnik moment,” Adams said at a news conference at Fulton Transit Center in Lower Manhattan. “Like when Kennedy said we’re going to put a man on the moon. … Let’s bring on the scanners.”
Adams displayed scanners manufactured by Evolv, a Massachusetts-based weapons detection company that announced last month it was being investigated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, following an October disclosure that it was being examined by the Federal Trade Commission. The company’s share price dropped after it announced the SEC investigation, which prompted a lawsuitfrom its shareholders this month, alleging the company had misled investors about its technology’s effectiveness.
The announcement came as four killings have been reported in the subway so far this year, just shy of the five reported in all of 2023. It also followed New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s move to deploy 750 National Guard soldiers into the subway system, alongside MTA and state police, to help NYPD officers check riders’ bags. The department deployed 800 additional uniformed and plainclothes officers earlier this week at what it called “strategic” subway stations to crack down on fare beating as part of an initiative dubbed “Operation Fare Play.”
Neither the mayor nor NYPD officials specified how many of Evolv’s scanners would be set up in the subway system or which stations would receive them. Police will begin testing the scanners after a 90-day waiting period to decide if they should be deployed more widely, officials said. The scanners won’t use facial recognition technology but will be able to roll around through the stations, Adams said.
Riders will not be required to pass through the machines, said NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Legal Matters Michael Gerber. The mayor said the NYPD’s deal with Evolv isn’t finalized yet and the city is accepting bids from other companies for gun tracking technology.
Adams piloted the Evolv scanners and gun detection technology from two other companies in 2022, following that year’s mass shooting on an N train in Brooklyn, with temporary installations outside of City Hall. Evolv’s scanners are also in place at venues like Citi Field, and allow visitors to go through them without emptying their pockets.
Evolv’s website claims its scanners use “advanced sensor technology and artificial intelligence to distinguish between weapons and everyday items.” The company argues that the technology allows for “a more dignified and respectful screening process that empowers security professionals and enhances the visitor experience.”
NYPD officials said they’ve seized 19 illegal guns in the subway so far this year, up from nine during the same period in 2023.
New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman criticized the technology rollout in a statement saying gun detector technology “has a history of delivering flawed and unusable results.”
“The mayor likened today’s subway scanner announcement to the moon landing, but more accurately he’s jumping the shark,” Lieberman said. “We should be wary of any flashy new technology that over-promises while raising novel privacy concerns.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
Eugen Boglaru is an AI aficionado covering the fascinating and rapidly advancing field of Artificial Intelligence. From machine learning breakthroughs to ethical considerations, Eugen provides readers with a deep dive into the world of AI, demystifying complex concepts and exploring the transformative impact of intelligent technologies.
