Vancouver Police Department’s LRAD
Last night’s Casseroles march was, of course, a small group of about 20-30 idiots who felt it was permissible to block the Burrard Street Bridge last night. Somehow they thought that their ‘right to protest’ overruled the rights of 100’s of Vancouverites to travel unhindered through the city. These people really need to grow-up.
The Vancouver Police Department had 40 officers waiting- obviously they weren’t certain how big or small the protest would be. When the protesters began to block the bridge, the officers broadcast an announcement to the miscreants asking them to move, or that they would be arrested. The protesters all moved, and the confrontation was over.
Sounds good, right? Well, no, because the VPD made a major tactical error last night- one with very bad optics. Rather than use a simple bullhorn or public address device, the VPD brought and used their LRAD device to announce their intent to arrest.
The LRAD (Long Range Accustic Device) is a tool that can be either used as a public announcement system or as a weapon. In weapons mode it directionally can blast painful sound towards crowds of people. Now, the VPD have disabled the weapon feature of the LRAD back in November of 2009. So, what they are left with is a very expensive public announcement system that has extremely bad public relations optics attached to it.
The LRAD has become a major symbol of police oppression- disabling the device was a way for the VPD to reduce the amount of criticism they got for introducing it into their arsenal. Lauren Gill is already harping about the LRAD’s appearance, using it as a tool to build more discontent and recruit people for the next Casseroles. See how this backfired?
Here’s a video of the LRAD in-use:
I spoke to the VPD’s media spokesperson today who confirmed this was, indeed, the LRAD. Her explanation was “well. we paid for it, so we have to use it”. I informed her that that is a massive PR failure. and it would have been a better idea to use a standard bullhorn- optics are everything. She failed to tell me that the device had been disabled as a weapon- something the VPD should definitely make sure they share in the future.
In other news on the Casseroles Vancouver Cop Watch, of course, chimed-in with a snarky comment on the protest yesterday:
I’d like to reframe this statement for them. How about if a group of 20-30 miscreants had decided they wouldn’t need to be blocking bridges and burning bridges with the police, then those officers could have been working on something more important? Perhaps something like ticketing jaywalkers on Hastings Street…
Related articles
7 comments
Skip to comment form
i’m a bad person.. i like the fact they ticket jay walkers. I have to take the bus down hastings at least twice a week.. and have been almost knocked off my feet by the bus driver having to slam on the breaks because of some idiot walking out in front of it. and then.. getting mad at the damn bus driver!
Author
I’ve been in three near accidents due to jaywalkers on E. Hastings – I feel the same way…
I’m on the protesters side on this one, Greg…. based on what I see is happening in the States and that the North American Union is (and one world government through the United Nations) being slowly implemented, the LRAD is still a threat. They can probably re-enable it if ordered to also. I know you don’t like casserole guys but the police may in the future be ordered to do things which are very troubling. I have respect for the police and I fear for what will happen to them and us all as things get merged. There is alot of evidence though it is happening much slower here in Canada. The States is a mess and is getting worse. Also I am sure they had plenty of other bullhorns they could have brought. They didn’t have to use something so obviously threatening. I hope you were told the truth by that officer but be careful. Things are going to change and even the Occupy movement doesn’t realize it because when people try to warn them they are pooh-poohed, even while there is much evidence including stories in the mainstream media proving it. You just have to pay attention because the evidence is scattered over decades but cumulatively becomes glaringly obvious once one is willing to look at it. The top elite are pushing so hard and fast that it is becoming obvious what they are doing. The Occupy movement is being manipulated, not just by groups with their own agendas, but by the top elite that has been manipulating whole economies and is responsible for much of the problems and suffering and deaths that we and other countries around the world face. They pushed for the European Union, knowing it would fail (and the Euro)… Now they have the EU by the balls and look at the devastation that has caused. The financial advisors from the top elites are guiding us all into failure. They have already convinced the world it needs the fractional reserve banking system and debt, but by doing this they have entrapped us all. We, our generation and those after us were not the ones responsible and we do not NEED a one world currency or a one world government or a union of countries. What we need to do is STOP listening to these vipers and remove them from power!
The police are not our enemy. I know they are people too and I know that if my (and other concerned citizens) fears are true, many good cops will face a moral crisis. I hope they turn away when ordered to do things that would be a violation of human rights, degradation of the freedom of people. They will know it when they face it. It may take many years before that happens but it is being put into motion. I applaud those (like our hyper Anon friend, if he’s still around) that try to reach out to the police (I saw him try, he was awesome!!) and ask those that are yelling “f the pigs” to PLEASE realize that not all the police are evil and if any of them are to be reached to stand by what is right and good in these darkening times, our Anon friend had it right!! The police are human beings and we must appeal to the humanity within them as they would be strong allies if the shit hit the fan but any that may have remembered the words of that Anon will probably only remember the words yelled by that woman standing near me at that same protest (right as he was talking to the cops): “f the pigs” They will most likely remember the words of hate and that moment was destroyed. So PLEASE stop abusing these cops without knowing which are truly bad and which are either feeling hopeless, or don’t yet realize, or may have remembered that Anons words and turned away from corruption later!
The Anon had it right, you see…. how can you call humanity to revolution if you attack it? I hope those cops DO remember his words and not the hate. They need to remember us protesters as positive, not as hate-filled enemies or else they will respond in kind. Yes, we may seem crazy but if we are right about what is happening in the world things will change to the point they will see it and may turn away from the corruption. There are cops and military men in the US that are doing so RIGHT NOW!! There IS hope!! So PLEASE stop attacking them and they can help when the shit hits the fan!!
Author
The LRAD was disabled by a technician- and, according to reports in the media, cannot be re-enabled out in the field. So, no worry it will be used at this point.
I agree with you about the police- and I’ve spent a lot of time saying exactly what you are. But, in this case, I was disappointed by their poor grasp of the optics of what they were doing. By bringing out the LRAD, instead of a simple bullhorn, they gave the demonstrators a tool to help build support and grow their group. Now, I’m not at all against honest activists growing their ranks- but, the group running the Casseroles have been actively working to build division between the people and the police. These are the wrong group of people to be growing a movement…
do you really buy that? I’m an electronics buff I bet you with a couple of tools, like a power inverter, soldering iron, screw drivers and maybe a radioshack switch I could re-enable it. They probably just disabled the switch. A wire shorting out the right two parts with the cover off is enough, so a wire and screw driver set are all that is really needed in a pinch. I’d like to know the name of the technician, and I’d love to know electronically how this LRAD was disabled. Since it is an expensive device, there must be blueprints and a schematic of the fix.
Author
I guess that’s a good question for the VPD. I’ll call their press liason when I have a chance, see if they can explain that to me.
and this is why I stopped attending these demo’s. PTSD and being threatened with weapons is a crappy trigger. I keep forgetting who the provocateurs are when everyone is playing games. I think we can agree, guns shouldn’t be used as weed smoking pipes, and “rocket launchers shouldn’t be used as megaphones”, you hit the ti-nail, its all about image.