NEW York’s subways may start to look a little different as the mayor plans to implement a new gun detection system.
The city is implementing a new policy to combat gun violence and keep traffic safer.
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Mayor Eric Adams announced the technology in March after a spike in subway violence.
“Would I rather we didn’t have to go through this to get into our system? You’re right, I would. But we have to live life as it is and work to make it what it should be,” Adams said on The Hour.
The technology requires passengers to pass through detectors before entering the subway platform.
If a weapon is found on the pilot, a red box will appear on the iPad.
The technology focuses on detecting weapons, but is also programmed to find other weapons, such as razors.
“Public safety and justice are prerequisites for prosperity, and our administration’s commitment to upholding that vision has resulted in six consecutive months of reduced crime on our streets and one of the lowest crime rates in recorded history. our metropolitans”, said the mayor’s office. The US Sun.
“Building on our commitment to a safer transit system, we are using this pilot as an opportunity to ensure continued success and invite companies specializing in weapons detection technology to contact us as we look to expand how we are maintaining New Yorkers safe when riding the subway.”
The system is still in the pilot phase while the city works to analyze the technology.
A device will be moved around the city over 30 days.
The location of the device will be unpredictable, so city commuters should be prepared for the new system.
PRIVACY RESET
Although Mayor Adams praised the new security system, critics accused it of infringing on privacy rights.
The New York chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union released an affirmation saying Mayor Adams was “jumping the shark.”
“Gun violence is a critical public health and safety concern, but so-called gun detector technology has a history of providing flawed and unusable results,” the statement read.
NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman added that the new system raised “complicated questions” about what privacy rights it violated and whether data would be stored.
“We should be wary of any flashy new technology that promises too much while also raising new privacy concerns,” Lieberman continued.
The NYCLU did not file a lawsuit against the city for violating privacy rights.
How the weapon detection system works
New York Mayor Eric Adams announced a pilot program for gun detection systems on the subway. See how they work,
- Passengers will have to pass through the detection system the same way they would through a standard metal detector.
- The system uses electromagnetic pulse and cameras to locate weapons and weapons to identify firearms.
- A small beep will sound if the passenger is able to continue and board the subway.
- A small red box will appear on a police-monitored iPad if a motorcyclist is armed.
The Legal Aid Society criticized the technology for creating “significant inconveniences.”
“Worse still, they constitute an unwarranted invasion of privacy and put people’s lives – especially those of our customers, the majority of whom are people of color – at risk due to the panic that an inevitable false alarm would induce,” he said. the declaration continuous.
The New York police released a policy statement on Thursday to ensure the transparency of the new surveillance.
VIOLENCE ON THE SUBWAY
Since the beginning of 2024, arrests in the subway system have increased by almost 53% compared to 2023, according to the New York Police.
In March, a passenger was shot in the head on a subway in Brooklyn, in front of many people.
A passenger filmed the horrific incident as New Yorkers took cover under backpacks and chairs as the train continued to move.
The victim was fighting with another man on the train when he pulled out a razor blade and a gun.
The other man fought him, knocking him to the ground, ripping the gun from his hands and shooting him in the head.
Last month, a 40-year-old man named Johnny Medina was stabbed to death in a Washington Heights subway station.
His killer, Diego Figueroa-Hepner, was charged with second-degree murder.
District Attorney Alvin Bragg called the crime a “cruel and senseless act” in a Press release.
Gov. Kathy Hochul had already deployed 1,000 members of the National Guard and State Police to patrol subways and combat violent crime.
Crime on the New York City subway gained national attention last year when former Marine Daniel Penny was accused of fatally choking a homeless man named Jordan Neely.
The incident sparked a mass debate about vigilantism and systemic racism.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
