Long-range acoustic device
It has been used as a method of crowd control, which has caused permanent hearing damage, having an extremely high decibel capacity (up to 160 dB measured at one meter from the device).
In October 2000 the USS Cole, an American guided missile destroyer, was bombed in an attack by al-Qaeda operatives, using a small boat packed with explosives.
This results in the common "Charlie Brown" effect, where the message is muffled and misunderstood, analogous to the muted brass squawks representing the unintelligible voices of adults in animated Peanuts specials.
[8][needs update] Small spherical "point-source" acoustic devices follow the known inverse square law, which predicts the loss of 6 decibels (dB) per doubling of distance from the source, solely due to geometric spreading.
[6] Genasys offers its products for the following categories of use on its U.S. website: defense, law enforcement, fire and rescue services, border security, protection of critical infrastructure, and maritime safety.
[4] Law enforcement organizations and the manufacturer claim that LRAD systems are primarily designed for long-range communications;[19] however, the device has an extremely high decibel capacity and has been controversially used as a less-lethal weapon for crowd control.
[17][18] Due to potential risks and a lack of studies on the health impact of sonic weapons, the American Civil Liberties Union recommended in a fact sheet that their use in protests be suspended.
[23] However, before 2020, there was no use of the LRAD in public situations; most usage had been by the various police forces for communications during natural disasters or for negotiations with hostage-takers[2][22] in a siege, where it was too dangerous to approach a suspect.
In addition, some reports appeared to confuse the LRAD with other crowd control devices, such as the Active Denial System;[2] one activist claimed that "supersonic weapons" had been used.
[25][26] Police in Prague used a vehicle-mounted LRAD on November 17, 2020, to repeatedly alert protesters on Wenceslas Square to follow COVID restrictions and wear masks.
The police and a Prague City Hall representative used an LRAD to repeatedly call upon demonstrators to follow COVID public safety protocols and to comply with security measures.
[29] Prague police officers utilized a vehicle-mounted LRAD to issue more than 500 warnings to revelers not to set off pyrotechnics during downtown December 31, 2021 - January 1, 2022 New Year's Eve celebrations.
[33][34] Japan's Coast Guard used Long Range Acoustic Devices and other methods to expel a North Korean fishing flotilla from its waters in September 2017.
[37][38] Sea Shepherd noted that they had an LRAD of their own, but as of early 2010, had not put it into use[39] other than to play a recording of "Ride of the Valkyries" in the manner of attacking U.S. Army helicopters depicted in the 1979 film Apocalypse Now.
A document released under the Official Information Act (OIA), revealed two long range acoustic devices (LRADs) were deployed at the Parliament protest on March 2.
[49][citation needed] LRAD was present and used when the New York City Police department raided and destroyed the Occupy Wall Street encampment from Zuccotti Park to disrupt and disperse the crowd before arresting or ejecting them on the morning of 15 November 2011.
[54] Rochester, NY police used a Long Range Acoustic Device to make announcements to protesters that they were unlawfully in the roadway and obstructing traffic on September 12, 2020.
Sheriff Tom Allman said the device would aid in searches for missing persons, most often hunters and mushroom pickers, which cost the county tens of thousands of dollars.
[64] The Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina Police Department Crisis Intervention Team and SWAT negotiators used a long-range acoustic device to talk a man down from an energized electrical tower.
[65] The Phoenix, Arizona city council approved the purchase of two LRAD 500X systems in November 2018 "to give clear and concise messages to groups of people whenever we find it necessary".
"[79] The New Jersey State Police used an armored-vehicle-mounted LRAD to communicate with crowds denied entry to a June 7, 2015 concert after they began throwing bottles and tried to rush the gates outside MetLife Stadium.
[89] On April 12, 2021, the Brooklyn Center, Minnesota Police Department deployed a vehicle mounted LRAD outside of its headquarters to announce curfew violations and dispersal orders to a large crowd protesting the death of Daunte Wright.
[11] Menlo Park and Atherton, California police and fire officials attended a 'sound off' between a siren installation and an LRAD 360XT mobile voice mass notification system in April 2018.
"We believe that the purchase and installation of LRAD goes a long way to improve the resiliency and redundancy of our communication systems," Mill Valley Fire Chief Tom Welch said.
[98] In October 2020, Laguna Beach, California, tested its expanded outdoor warning system of 13 Long Range Acoustic Devices mounted on buildings throughout the city.
[100] The Berkeley, California city council approved the installation of a Genasys outdoor warning system to alert residents of fires, earthquakes, tsunamis and other disasters.
Ten systems that broadcast both sirens and voice messages have been installed on buildings throughout Berkeley to provide another layer of reaching residents and visitors in the event of serious emergencies.
[102] On November 5, 2005, the luxury cruise ship Seabourn Spirit employed an LRAD to repel pirates who attacked the vessel with rocket-propelled grenades about 115 kilometres (71 mi) off the coast of Somalia.
The security detachment aboard Biscaglia was reported to have used an LRAD device in an effort to repel attackers armed with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades.
[106] In January 2011, the Spirit of Adventure, a cruise ship sailing through the Indian Ocean, deployed an LRAD system as part of its defensive measures when being pursued by pirates.
