Long Range Acoustic Hailing Devices Help Police Control Crowds (DIGITAL JUSTICE VIDEO)

Long Range Acoustic Hailing Devices help cops control crowds. But whether they are potentially life-saving law enforcement tools or nefarious speech-stifling devices depends on who you ask.

LRAD Corporation spokesperson, Robert Putnam, says the devices help police provide clear instructions to protesters from long distances.

"We really don't look at this as any kind of weapon," Putnam said. "It fills a gap between bullhorns and rubber bullets"

But LRAD does more than just broadcast police orders, it also has a deafening siren.

"LRAD Has no place at public events and forums, especially at any free speech event," said Kevin Keenan, executive director for the American Civil Liberties Union. "It's too intimidating and too scary. It chills speech that we want to encourage in a democracy."

Occupy protester Anthony Cristofani said his wife had one used on her in Oakland, Calif.

"It's like a form of psychological torture," Cristofani said. "It's in your brain and you can't think and you can't move."

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