Jane Sheppard here, bringing you the latest from our beloved North Florida region. Today, the buzz is all about the new technology that is making waves in the security sector – AI-powered scanners. The Big Apple is turning to these innovative solutions in an attempt to keep guns and other weapons out of its subway system. However, this move has been met with a blend of skepticism and resistance from civil liberties advocates and some commuters.
AI-Powered Scanners: A Revolutionary Move Towards Public Safety
These new scanners, known as the Evolv scanner, use Artificial Intelligence to detect weapons on subway riders. The scanner was unveiled at a lower Manhattan subway station by Mayor Eric Adams who announced a 30-day trial of the technology.
Mayor Adams, an avowed “tech geek,” was keen on emphasizing that the scanners are still in their experimental phase. While they are already in use in places like baseball stadiums, they will only be deployed to a limited number of subway stations for now. Only a fraction of riders will be asked to walk through them.
The scanners, about 6 feet tall, are marked with the logo of the city’s police department and have a multicolor light display. They are designed to send an alert to a tablet monitored by NYPD officers when a weapon is detected. However, it seems there are still some kinks to work out – a reporter’s iPad case set off the scanner during its unveiling.
Public Backlash and Legal Threats
Despite the promise of increased safety, the scanners have not been welcomed by all. Civil liberties advocates, including the New York Civil Liberties Union and the Legal Aid Society, have threatened to sue the city if the technology is rolled out widely. They argue that the searches infringe upon the constitutional rights of the riders.
- “City officials have admitted that these scanners are primarily to combat some riders’ ‘perceptions’ that they are unsafe on the subway — this is not a justifiable basis to violate the Constitution,” said NYCLU attorney Daniel Lambright.
Commuters have also voiced their concerns, suggesting that it may not be practical to subject millions of commuters to these security screenings.
Looking Ahead: Future of Subway Security
Despite these concerns, Mayor Adams has long discussed the possibility of adding weapons detectors to the subway system. He suggested this week that “eventually, every turnstile is going to be able to identify if someone is carrying a gun,” but doing so could require the city to employ thousands of additional police officers to respond to gun alerts.
However, there is still skepticism about the feasibility of this plan. The city’s expansive subway system, which includes 472 stations with multiple entrances and exits, presents significant challenges for the deployment of these detectors.
Even Peter George, the CEO of Evolv, has acknowledged that subways are “not a great use-case” for the scanners, according to the Daily News. The company, which has faced a spate of lawsuits and federal inquiries into its marketing practices, claims that the scanning system can screen up to 3,600 people per hour. It is designed to detect the “signatures” of guns, knives, and explosives while ignoring everyday metal objects like cell phones.
Conclusion
The trial of the AI-powered scanners in New York City’s subway system is a bold step towards public safety. It’s a fascinating advancement, but its implementation is not without controversy. As we watch this situation unfold, we can’t help but wonder: Could such technology ever make its way to our North Florida region? Only time will tell.
