Surveillance Theater Won't Make The Subway Safer

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Friend,

We’ve told you about some of Mayor Adams’ misguided ideas before, but this week was a doozy. Following a rash of horrifying subway headlines, the Mayor turned to his usual playbook, rolling out yet another high-tech tool to try to change the news cycle. The newest scheme is one we’ve warned about for years, installing metal detectors in subway stations. The Mayor isn’t just doubling down on the discredited plan, he’s getting into business with a disgraced surveillance company to do it.

We’ve told you about Evolv metal detectors before, the overhyped firm that sells its scanners for more than ten times traditional metal detectors by claiming they magically use “AI.” But reality has already started to catch up with the scandal-plagued firm, which is facing investigations from the Federal Trade Commission and Securities and Exchange Commission, and a lawsuit by a New York student who claims he was attacked with a weapon Evolv failed to detect. Things are so dire for the firm that just days before the Mayor’s new announcement, they were sued by their own shareholders for fraud.

It’s never been clearer that the Mayor’s strategy is focused on public relations, not public safety. Evolv is guaranteed to slow down your commute, but it’s going to struggle to do anything else. For a Mayor who prides himself on previously policing the subway, this was a chance to show New Yorkers real solutions. Sadly, it’s just more of the same.

In Solidarity,
Albert Fox Cahn
Executive Director

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NewsletterLeticia MurilloMarch 29, 2024