The Associated Press reports that a recent pilot program testing AI-powered weapons scanners in New York City subway stations resulted in over 100 false alerts, but no firearms were detected. Data from the New York Police Department, released Wednesday night, shows that the Evolv-manufactured scanners flagged a total of 118 false positives during nearly 3,000 screenings conducted at 20 subway stations. The program, introduced by Mayor Eric Adams as part of a broader initiative to increase transit safety, has prompted debate over its accuracy and constitutionality.
Mayor Adams, a Democrat and self-described technology advocate, announced the pilot earlier this year, citing concerns over subway safety following two high-profile shootings in the transit system. The portable Evolv scanners, already in use at other city facilities, were placed at a limited number of subway entrances to detect potential weapons. Over a 30-day testing period, the NYPD performed 2,749 scans, flagging 118 passengers as potential threats—though none were found to be carrying firearms. The scanners did detect 12 knives, but police have not clarified whether these were prohibited blades or permissible tools like pocket knives.
The trial has drawn skepticism from both subway riders and civil liberties organizations. Critics argue that scanning the subway’s millions of daily passengers, who enter through hundreds of different access points, would be impractical. There are also concerns about privacy and civil liberties, given the extensive monitoring that the full implementation of such technology would require. While subway crime remains rare, the high-profile shootings and other sporadic incidents have kept safety in the public spotlight.
Despite assurances from Mayor Adams that the pilot’s results would be made public, the statement released by the NYPD provided limited detail. It did not disclose how long each screening took, the number of officers required to staff the scanners, or how many passengers declined to participate. The announcement comes as Evolv, the Massachusetts-based company behind the scanners, faces legal and regulatory challenges. The company is under federal investigation by the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over its marketing practices, and investors recently filed a class-action lawsuit accusing Evolv executives of overstating the reliability of their detection technology.
The results of New York City’s scanner trial have further fueled criticism. The Legal Aid Society issued a statement Thursday describing the pilot as “objectively a failure,” suggesting that the data demonstrates the technology’s lack of reliability. “Given this failed pilot, all the other overwhelming evidence against using Evolv’s weapons detectors, and the surrounding controversies, including lawsuits and various investigations, we hope that this ill-conceived, fraught, and unwanted idea is finally shelved for good,” the statement read.
ew YoFor now, the city has yet to finalize any contract with Evolv, and an NYPD spokesperson recently confirmed that the department is still “evaluating the outcome of the pilot.” Mayor Adams, who has supported expanding Evolv’s scanners in other public spaces, such as schools, has not indicated whether the city plans to pursue further testing or implementation in the subway system.
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