First gun scanning devices installed at Fulton Center subway station

NEW YORK (WABC) – The first gun-scanning device to be installed on the subway was unveiled Friday by Mayor Eric Adams.

The new technology was installed at the Fulton Center subway station in Lower Manhattan.

The mayor hopes that this will eliminate weapons from the subway.

The city will deploy independent monitoring devices that will detect weapons and track the system’s impact on the normal flow of commuters.

The city is using a weapons detection system from Evolv Technology, the same technology used at Citi Field.

Critics say the technology will cause traffic jams at crowded stations and fear it will invade privacy.

In response to Mayor Eric Adams’ statement, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) and the Legal Aid Society (LAS) issued the following joint statement:

“With this flawed, fraught, and invasive technology now in effect, we are in the process of preparing litigation to protect the constitutional rights of all New Yorkers. New Yorkers have not agreed to give up their rights or to be the NYPD’s guinea pigs for overhyped and error-prone surveillance technology. We stand ready to protect the right of all subway riders to be free from intrusion and harassment by the NYPD.”

Mayor Adams and MTA officials announced that crime on the city’s subways is on a downward trend.

The latest data from the New York Police Department shows that subway crime is down nearly 8% in 2024 compared to the first half of 2023.

Adams believes the decline in crime is a result of police working underground, addressing quality of life issues and violence prevention.

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