NYPD reopens bidding for Israeli surveillance technology after pressure from Mamdani allies

The New York Police Department announced Tuesday that it will reopen the bidding process for a planned $750,000 purchase of cellphone surveillance equipment from Israeli technology company Cognyte, following criticism from allies of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani over the department’s proposed deal.

The decision does not rule out a future purchase from Cognyte, which developed the FalcoNet system. Instead, the NYPD will invite competing companies to submit proposals after determining that the original procurement did not meet the requirements for a sole-source purchase.

"The procurement did not meet the requirements for a sole-source purchase, so we are moving to an open and competitive procurement process," the NYPD said.

Mamdani criticized the NYPD’s ties with Israel as a prominent part of his mayoral campaign. At one event, he declared that “when an NYPD officer's boot is on a person's neck, the IDF has laced it," and expressed strong support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement targeting Israel.

Since taking office, however, Mamdani has not met all the demands of his progressive supporters. He has specifically refused calls from some within his political base to fire Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who describes herself as a "proud Zionist" and belongs to an extended Jewish family that has donated to various Israeli institutions.

The FalcoNet procurement process began under former Mayor Eric Adams. A recently released NYPD memo stated that the department believed the system was the only available option that met its requirements.

Another recent department study reportedly concluded that FalcoNet remained the best fit for its needs. However, criticism of the decision to pursue a sole-source contract led the department to open the process to competing bids.

Opposition to the proposed purchase has extended beyond concerns about the procurement process. Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) City Council member Tiffany Cabán called for an end to what she described as "mass surveillance of New Yorkers."

She also argued that the FalcoNet system had been used by governments accused of human rights abuses, including Israel, Myanmar and South Sudan.

"It's time for the city to cut ties with companies that profit from human rights abuses," she said.

Another City Council member, Julie Won, cited the NYPD's surveillance of Muslims in New York following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as a reason to oppose giving police access to such technology.

The NYPD has defended its use of cellphone tracking systems, saying they help officers locate suspects as well as people who call for emergency assistance but struggle to describe their location to dispatchers.

According to the department, FalcoNet would be reserved for specialized circumstances, usually involving a court-issued warrant, and used by a limited number of specialists rather than the entire police force.

The Legal Aid Society, a civil liberties organization, challenged the proposed use of the technology, stating that "This technology turns New Yorkers' phones into surveillance devices," and calling for additional oversight.

Cognyte, headquartered in Herzliya and traded on Nasdaq, supplies technology to law enforcement and military agencies in numerous countries. The company has faced scrutiny over its provision of equipment to governments with problematic human rights records.

According to the company's website, it is “a market leader in investigative analytics software that empowers a variety of government and other organizations with Actionable Intelligence for a Safer World™."