Privacy Concerns Raise Questions over New York City’s Weapons Detection Plan for Subway System

The New York City subway system is set to receive new technology to detect weapons, as announced by Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban. The pilot program will begin in a few months, with Mayor Adams stating that New York City’s policy on the impact and use of an electromagnetic weapons detection system will be released before the technology can be tested.

However, this announcement has drawn criticism from the Legal Aid Society, which argues that the Adams administration’s approach to public safety is flawed, expensive and invasive of privacy. The group expressed concern that weapons detection systems often trigger false alarms, leading to panic and potentially dangerous situations.

New York state and local leaders are working to improve subway security, with Gov. Kathy Hochul deploying the National Guard and state police for random bag checks and Commissioner Caban engaging with riders to gather feedback. Despite these efforts, transit crime this year increased by 4% compared to last year and by 8% compared to 14 years ago.

The NYPD recently announced plans to assign 800 additional officers to a week-long crackdown on fare evaders, and the city is hiring more clinicians to help individuals dealing with mental health issues. Overall, the city is taking several measures to address safety issues and improve safety in the subway system.