Eric Adams moves ahead with adding metal Detectors in the subway system

[trainfan22]

Mayor Eric Adams on Monday said he is considering three types of metal detectors to be used in the subway system in the wake of last week's mass shooting on board a Manhattan-bound N train in Sunset Park.

In his first in-person news conference since exiting COVID isolation, Adams offered few details on the added cost to the detectors, who will monitor them and where in the system they will be installed. He said he is delegating the task of researching the best type of detector to Phil Banks, deputy mayor for public safety.

At the news conference, Adams called the technology extremely promising, but he would not disclose the names of the manufacturers being formally reviewed.

“We’re looking at three devices. We haven’t narrowed in on just one yet,” Adams said. “Once we know we’ll make that announcement.”

Last week, the mayor’s office confirmed to Gothamist that Massachusetts-based Evolv Technology was under consideration. The company has developed an advanced detector capable of determining the density and shape alongside its metal composition, allowing their scanners to distinguish guns and bombs from some everyday objects like cellphones.

 

 

Link to rest of the article: https://gothamist.com/news/mayor-moving-ahead-on-metal-detectors-in-subway-system

[trainfan22]

I can't believe they are seriously considering this, this seems like a pipe dream at best. 

 

 

472 stations with most having multiple entrances, who would monitor all these metal detectors at these various stations?

[GojiMet86]

Great, the last thing the subway needs is to become a high school......

[Vulturious]

8 minutes ago, trainfan22 said:

 

 

I shared this in the other thread, but didn't really know what to think at the time, now I do. Where the hell was this kind of commitment about other issues such as PSD's for example? 

[Joel Powers]

13 hours ago, trainfan22 said:

I can't believe they are seriously considering this, this seems like a pipe dream at best. 

 

 

472 stations with most having multiple entrances, who would monitor all these metal detectors at these various stations?

Let's not forget about the platform barriers as well given all the recent deaths and assaults.

[rbrome]

14 hours ago, trainfan22 said:

I can't believe they are seriously considering this, this seems like a pipe dream at best. 

472 stations with most having multiple entrances, who would monitor all these metal detectors at these various stations?

Exactly. These things need to be manned. You're really going to put a manned security station at... what... 2,000 entrances?! Get out of here. And if you just do a dozen high-profile stations, that's pure security theater. Obviously anyone actually planning something bad will simply board at a different station. What a pointless waste of our money just so politicians can appear to be "doing something" about an issue. 

[Joel Powers]

5 minutes ago, rbrome said:

Exactly. These things need to be manned. You're really going to put a manned security station at... what... 2,000 entrances?! Get out of here. And if you just do a dozen high-profile stations, that's pure security theater. Obviously anyone actually planning something bad will simply board at a different station. What a pointless waste of our money just so politicians can appear to be "doing something" about an issue. 

Last I checked, the MTA is too broke to afford a paper bag without a government bailout. This mayor is all talk and no action (except for those damn mandates)...

[rbrome]

Since people are mentioning PSDs, I want to point out that at least PSDs provide a benefit at every station where they're installed. If you install PSDs at 50% of stations, then at least you've addressed something close to 50% of the risk. But metal detectors don't work that way. Someone with seriously ill intent can choose which station to use. So installing metal detectors at 50% of stations only addresses perhaps 5% of the risk (at best). And we all know they'll never get close to 50%, much less the 100% that could actually be effective. So it's all a massive waste of money from day one. 

I will say that I have used a system that has metal detectors system-wide. When I visited Beijing in 2015, they had them (and x-ray bag scanners) at every station. But it's a very different system; it's much newer, so all the stations are sized like our Second Ave line. There was space for it. And most entrances are along wide boulevards with even wider sidewalks, so there was room for queueing outside. And during peak hours... boy was there queueing! It really slowed things down. I don't think New Yorkers would stand for that. It would absolutely put a dent in ridership (the last thing we need right now), sending the MTA into another financial death spiral. 

Now in Beijing, they used the older style. Supposedly the MTA is considering new ones that are designed to be better and faster. But I have used those — they have them at many of the local hospitals — and they did not seem particularly fast/efficient to me. 

[Joel Powers]

1 minute ago, rbrome said:

Since people are mentioning PSDs, I want to point out that at least PSDs provide a benefit at every station where they're installed. If you install PSDs at 50% of stations, then at least you've addressed something close to 50% of the risk. But metal detectors don't work that way. Someone with seriously ill intent can choose which station to use. So installing metal detectors at 50% of stations only addresses perhaps 5% of the risk (at best). And we all know they'll never get close to 50%, much less the 100% that could actually be effective. So it's all a massive waste of money from day one. 

I will say that I have used a system that has metal detectors system-wide. When I visited Beijing in 2015, they had them (and x-ray bag scanners) at every station. But it's a very different system; it's much newer, so all the stations are sized like our Second Ave line. There was space for it. And most entrances are along wide boulevards with even wider sidewalks, so there was room for queueing outside. And during peak hours... boy was there queueing! It really slowed things down. I don't think New Yorkers would stand for that. It would absolutely put a dent in ridership (the last thing we need right now), sending the MTA into another financial death spiral. 

Now in Beijing, they used the older style. Supposedly the MTA is considering new ones that are designed to be better and faster. But I have used those — they have them at many of the local hospitals — and they did not seem particularly fast/efficient to me. 

It's really strange that the MTA is only starting to do this now rather then say about 20 years ago back when the Department of Homeland Security was created, not to mention the TSA and their metal detectors at airports. What, not are we going to have to remove out shoes when entering a station? Give me a break!

[Joel Powers]

next*

[LGA Link N Train]

I don’t see this coming to fruition anytime soon.

[Joel Powers]

13 hours ago, LaGuardia Link N Tra said:

I don’t see this coming to fruition anytime soon.

That's not even gonna fly here.

[CenSin]

On 4/19/2022 at 11:29 AM, Joel Powers said:

Let's not forget about the platform barriers as well given all the recent deaths and assaults.

It only takes a leg to kick someone off the platform. And last I heard… metal detectors let those pass right through.

Edited April 26, 2022 by CenSin

[Via Garibaldi 8]

10 hours ago, CenSin said:

It only takes a leg to kick someone off the platform. And last I heard… metal detectors let those pass right through.

Well what do you propose? We're starting to have shootings now on a regular basis either in the subway system or just outside of it. This can't become the norm, so I am totally open to seeing what this new administration proposes for metal detectors. It seems as if they are looking at ones that just let you pass through without the need for long lines.

There are many questions that have not been answered, so I think it's best to wait and see before saying it won't work.

Edited April 26, 2022 by Via Garibaldi 8