Binghamton area law enforcement agencies may soon have access to a controversial piece of equipment.

Broome County is preparing to buy a long-range acoustic device that uses a specialized loudspeaker that's capable of communicating at long distances.

Police sometimes use the equipment to speak with someone during a standoff situation. It also can be used to produce extremely loud sound for crowd control purposes.

Sheriff Fred Akshar said the closest "LRAD" to Broome County is in Ithaca. While he wouldn't expect to use such a device on a regular basis, he said it would be good to have it if it's needed.

Speaking on WNBF Radio, Akshar indicated he the device - sometime called a "sound cannon" - would generally be used by SWAT teams.

The sheriff said the county is in the process of purchasing one of the units. He said the equipment could be used by his agency or any law enforcement agency within the region.

The devices are capable of producing an extremely loud earsplitting sound that has been used by some police agencies to disperse crowds.

Akshar said the sheriff's office is "looking to use it not so much... from the crowd control perspective" but as a means to communicate with someone who may be barricaded in a building.

The sheriff said using a handheld bullhorn or a similar device on a patrol car may not always work.

Akshar said he's not sure how much the long-range acoustic device will cost. The county has advertised for bids for an LRAD.

The devices first were used two decades ago by American soldiers to disperse hostile crowds using a deterrent tone that has been described as "unbearable."

The noise is said to be capable of causing permanent hearing loss.

VIDEO: A demonstration of a long-range acoustic device that was used in 2009 to disperse protesters in Pittsburgh.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.

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