Ok, this had had a run in some stories last week during the winding down of the summer recess townhall meetings...A US congresswoman out in California "requested" these devices to be deployed at her townhall meetings "just in case" the angry mobs got out of hand...Sheriff's Department Responds To Sonic Device Outrage
SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego County Sheriff's Department Tuesday responded to 10News' report about a new sonic weapon known as a Long Range Acoustic Device, or LRAD.
The technology has been used in Iraq to control insurgents, and now it is in the sheriff's department's possession.
With some people concerned over whether the LRAD would be dangerous and if it would be used the way it is in war zones, 10News contacted the sheriff's department for their take.
The device was originally made to be used for war, and it emits high-pitched sounds as a form crowd control.
On Monday, members of the American Civil Liberties Union spoke with 10News, and they expressed outrage that local law enforcement had the device and that they had brought it to recent town hall meetings in case things got out of hand.
Kevin Keenan, of the ACLU, said, "We think that local law enforcement shouldn't be using military style weaponry like that."
On Tuesday, Ed Musgrove of the sheriff's department told 10News the device was only being used for good, like helping search-and-rescue teams and warning residents during fires or floods.
"So, it will never be used in San Diego as a weapon?" asked 10News' Ariana Duarte.
"No, not by the Sheriff's Department, no," said Musgrove.
"And that's a guarantee?"
"Yes."
San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore was recently quoted saying the LRAD was purchased for events "should there be any problems." He also added, "We could use the LRAD in place of pepper spray."
Duarte asked the sheriff's department about the comment and they said it was probably a poor choice of words and insisted that the device was only here to help.
"If the issue was getting the message out to people that need to hear it, then this is the device to do it," said Musgrove.
"So, is it used to startle them?" asked Duarte.
"No."
"Then how is it comparable to pepper spray?"
"I don't know that I would make that comparison."
The LRAD cost the sheriff's department $27,000, and it was paid for with money from a 2007 Homeland Security grant.
These devices appear to be a low-end cost version of the ones used by the military overseas...I saw an episode of Futureweapons where they demo'd a model of this technology that wsa mounted on the back of your standard Humvee...That device had a very fine tuned adjustable wave guide that could pick out a single person in a crowd...
These devices look to be a little less capable, and more tuned to be able to disperse larger groups of people where they are utilized...I have a slight problem with them being used like this for domestic purposes...
This to me is like letting the camel get its nose up under the tent flap...Where does it stop, and more important, who thought this was a good idea???
But notice more important, who is requesting the devices to be deployed...
I'll let y'all draw your own conclusions...