New York City will begin testing technology to detect weapons in a pilot program at several subway stations, Mayor Eric Adams said Thursday.
The announcement came after several shootings in the subway system, one of the largest and busiest in the world, including an argument on a train in March that ended with a man shooting himself in the head with his gun.
After a 90-day notice period under city law for new surveillance technology, the NYPD will begin testing handheld scanners at several stations. Adams did not say which ones.
“The announcement is the next step in our ongoing efforts to keep dangerous weapons out of our transportation system and provide better mental health services for New York citizens,” said Adams, a Democrat who used to patrol the subway when he was a police officer, at an event at the Fulton Street station in Manhattan this Thursday.
The Legal Aid Society, which defends the rights of New Yorkers who cannot afford lawyers, said the plan is misguided and an invasion of the rights of the city's citizens.
“Simply put, gun detection systems are flawed and often trigger false alarms, which induce panic and create situations that can result in loss of life,” Jerome Greco, an attorney in Legal Aid’s Digital Forensics Unit, said in a statement.
“New York should not serve as a testing ground for surveillance companies,” he added.
Source: CNN Brasil
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