NYC to activate controversial Evolv gun scanners in subway this week

Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News
·2 min read
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The NYPD will install gun-scanning metal detectors at a select few city subway stations later this week, Mayor Adams announced Tuesday, brushing off criticism from civil rights advocates who have questioned the efficacy of the technology.

In an afternoon news conference at City Hall, Adams said the detectors, produced by a company called Evolv Technology, will be rolled out “Thursday or Friday” at a handful of subway turnstiles as part of a pilot program.

“I think this is going to become the norm for us,” said Adams, a retired NYPD captain who has made using new surveillance tech a cornerstone of his public safety agenda.

Adams didn’t say which stations will see the detectors this week, how long the pilot will run or how much it is expected to cost.

Adams spokeswoman Amaris Cockfield said later no taxpayer dollars will be spent on the pilot, which is expected to last 30 days. She declined to name locations participating in the pilot, citing safety concerns.

The Evolv rollout comes as major crimes are down 7.8% in the subway system as compared to the same last year.

The Legal Aid Society and other civil rights advocates have argued the detectors could prove an invasion of privacy and a nuisance to New Yorkers who use the subways for commuting. That criticism came into sharper focus after the Daily News reported earlier this year that Evolv’s CEO told investors on a call that subways are not “a good use-case” for the company’s technology.

Controversy has also mounted since The News reported that two major Adams donors hold sizable investments in Evolv.

In Tuesday’s press conference, Adams said Evolv hasn’t been selected to permanently run a weapons detection program in the subways. “We’re going to test and see how it is,” he said.

He also told reporters he encourages other producers of similar technology to reach out to his administration with proposals. He wouldn’t say whether the administration has been in communication with any other companies besides Evolv about the matter.