Sonic Device Protection During Olympics

Summary: 

This week a sonic device called ‘Long Range Acoustic Device’ (LARD) was installed on a landing craft on the Thames at Westminster. This American–made device is said not to be a weapon, but a device that can send verbal warnings or carry pain-inducing tones. As such, you can use it to transmit long-range instructions, warnings or to disperse crowds and peacefully settle potentially dangerous situations during the Olympics.  According to the Ministry of Defence, LARD assists homeland security and law enforcement personnel to communicate clearly and in safeguarding all participants. 

Commentary: 

Is it but a matter of semantics or political correctness to not describe the LARD device as a weapon? For starters it can be used as a device for communicating and if necessary it can be used for warnings and ultimately it can be used to harm by inflicting pain-inducing tones. Just as any other weapon that falls into the wrong hands, it can do real harm. There is no doubt of its usefulness when safeguarding large crowds. Let us all hope, that the device / weapon will only be needed for communicational purposes.

The information was retrieved on May 12^th 2012 from the BBC news website http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18042528 article ‘Sonic device deployed in London during Olympics’ by Gavin Thomas