New York Police Refuses to Buy Israeli Surveillance System: The Role of Mamdani

The New York Police Department (NYPD) has abandoned its plan to purchase a surveillance system from Israeli company Cognyte for $750,000 without a tender. The decision followed criticism of Mayor Zohran Mamdani by his allies in the progressive left camp. The police have not completely abandoned the purchase: the supplier will now be selected through an open competition, in which Cognyte can participate on equal footing with other companies. Negotiations for the acquisition of the FalcoNet system had been ongoing since December 2025, under the previous mayor, Eric Adams. For Mamdani, the procurement turned into a clash with his own supporters: he supports the BDS movement but, after taking office, took no steps to sever police ties with Israel. An additional point of contention was Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who calls herself a "proud Zionist," whom Mamdani retained as head of the police. The FalcoNet system uses artificial intelligence and mimics a cell tower to determine the location of phones. Civil rights advocates are concerned that the system could also register the phones of random passersby. The police emphasize that the use of such tools typically requires a court order.