NYPD Scraps Direct Purchase of Israeli Surveillance Tech Amid Political Firestorm

The New York Police Department (NYPD) has abandoned plans to directly purchase a $750,000 surveillance system from Israeli company Cognyte. The decision followed criticism of Mayor Zohran Mamdani from progressive allies and a meeting with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. While the direct purchase is off, the NYPD has not ruled out acquiring the system, stating that a vendor will now be selected through an open bidding process in which Cognyte can compete. The NYPD cited that the original procurement did not meet the criteria for a sole-source acquisition. Earlier in the week, the police had indicated that Cognyte's FalcoNet system was the most suitable after reviewing several options, and a city procurement document suggested Cognyte was the exclusive producer of the needed goods and services. Negotiations for the FalcoNet system began in December 2025 under former Mayor Eric Adams, with a proposed three-year contract valued at approximately $750,000.

The procurement became a political flashpoint for Mayor Mamdani, who had campaigned on reforming city security policies and previously opposed police surveillance technologies. Mamdani has supported the BDS movement and has been critical of NYPD's ties to Israel, once stating, "When a police boot is on a citizen's neck, the shoelaces were tied by the IDF." Despite this, his administration has maintained ties, including an NYPD liaison to Israeli police and continued contracts with Israeli defense firms. Commissioner Tisch, who identifies as a "proud Zionist," also became a point of contention, with some pro-Palestinian supporters demanding her dismissal due to her stance on Israel and her family's significant donations to the country. Left-wing activists, including City Council Member Tiffany Cabán, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), called for an end to mass surveillance and specifically criticized the potential purchase of technology used by governments accused of human rights violations.

FalcoNet utilizes artificial intelligence to mimic a cellular base station, allowing it to capture device identifiers and track phone locations within its range. The system can be mounted on vehicles or drones, or carried in a backpack, enabling investigators to pinpoint devices without relying solely on cell towers. Civil liberties advocates have raised concerns that the system could inadvertently collect data on innocent bystanders. The NYPD maintains that the technology would not be used for eavesdropping or collecting text messages from non-investigative devices, and that its use typically requires a warrant, with exceptions for emergencies that must be retroactively approved within 48 hours. For searches involving missing persons or those at risk of suicide, a warrant is not required. Only four members of a special technology unit would have operated the system.

Cognyte, headquartered in Herzliya and traded on Nasdaq, has faced scrutiny over its product usage previously. Reuters reported in 2023 that the company supplied surveillance technology to a telecom operator in Myanmar before the country's military coup. Norway's sovereign wealth fund excluded Cognyte from its portfolio due to concerns about potential human rights violations. While the New York contract represents a small portion of Cognyte's approximately $400 million in revenue for the fiscal year ending January 2026, the deal became a significant political debate concerning privacy, human rights, and Israel relations.