The Cost of the Toronto G20: A billion dollars well spent?

Estimated cost: $55,000

The Toronto police have bought three hand-held and one vehicle-mounted long-range acoustic devices (LRADs), or “sound cannons,” for the summit. The total cost for these is roughly $55,000: $10,000 for each of the hand-held, LRAD 100X models and $25,000 for a vehicle-mounted LRAD 300X.

Precedents: Sound cannons were used on civilians for the first time during last year's G20 summit in Pittsburgh, as a precursor to tear gas and stun grenades.

They have been used to defend against pirates and warn small ships out of the path of military vessels off the Horn of Africa. They have also been used against insurgents in Iraq.

At the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York, the NYPD had LRADs at the ready, but they were never deployed.

Quick Facts: Sound cannons will be used whenever and wherever the police deem necessary, according to Const. Drummond, and they will become permanent fixtures in the Toronto police’s crowd-control arsenal.

Quotable Contributor

"The LRAD is a communication tool. It's basically a megaphone, but one that works at a certain frequency that cuts through background noise like vehicles, sirens, and crowds to make sure the message – that people should leave the area – is understood, and it starts off with a two to five-second tone that's meant to grab attention. It provides support for police.

[Regarding the 20-metre zone within which a person’s hearing can be permanently damaged] There's obviously policy that's been developed around the use of the LRAD, and that policy will be taken into account. We're not there to hurt anybody, we're there to protect. But situations are very fluid when you're dealing with a large crowd, and if someone cuts across [that zone] after the LRAD's been activated, that can't be helped. Given the fluidity of the situation, we'll do our best to make sure policy is followed." Sergeant Pierre Chamberland