Mayor Adams announced Thursday that by the beginning of summer, New York City subway passengers will pass through high-tech gun detectors to enter the transit system.
Speaking at the Fulton Street Station in Lower Manhattan, Adams announced the start of a 90-day period during which the city will seek input and finalize a plan to introduce gun detection technology to transit systems.
Adams called the announcement “the next step in our continued efforts to keep dangerous weapons out of our transportation systems.”
At the same time, the city is increasing support for commuters suffering from mental health crises by expanding the Metro Collaborative Outreach Team, a pilot program in which medical professionals provide assistance to people in need of treatment for severe mental illness. Adams said it will be strengthened.
To showcase their plan, the NYPD and Adams showed how a product from Evolve, a gun detection company, works. After passing through the scanner, a three-second scan will determine whether the commuter is in possession of a firearm.
Officials said police can only search areas highlighted by the computer.
Adams and his team said they are not bound to using Evolv even if a better company emerges in the next 90 days.
Evolv's technology has been criticized for picking up items other than firearms, such as umbrellas. Some employees of the company also donated a total of $1 million to Adams' mayoral campaign.
Despite the lack of gun detection technology, the NYPD has already recovered 21 guns from straphangers in an effort to quell an uptick in shootings and violence on railroad tracks.
Earlier this week, the New York City Police Department added 800 officers to subways in an effort to crack down on fare evasion and reduce crime on subways.
