New York City has announced a pilot programme to deploy portable gun scanners in its subway system. It’s part of an effort to make people using the service safer.
In the most populous city in the United States, the subway system serves as the lifeline for as many as 4 million commuters daily.
The scanners will be introduced in some stations after a legally mandated 90-day waiting period. And the trigger was a trend of rising crime was seen earlier this year after which some additional measures were taken.
“Keeping New Yorkers safe on the subway and maintaining confidence in the system is key to ensuring that New York remains the safest big city in America,” said Mayor Eric Adams.
The New York police department has already seized 450 weapons so far this year in the mass transit system, compared to 261 weapons seized during the same period last year.
Overall, violent crime is rare in the New York subway system, which serves about 3 million riders a day, but there have been two recent high-profile shooting incidents.
Earlier this month in the mass transit system, a man was shot with his own gun and critically wounded during a confrontation with another passenger.
And last month, one person was killed and several others wounded when shots rang out amid a fight between two groups.
There were five killings in the system last year, down from 10 the year prior, according to police. There were three homicides in the first two months of 2024.
The new system will be thoroughly analysed to see if it’s accurate enough.
(With inputs from AP)
