City confirms LRAD purchase deferred; city will seek SPD policies before reconsideration

Spokane City Council noted during public testimony that OPR 20250710, a request from Spokane Police Department to buy two long-range acoustic devices (LRADs), was deferred for two weeks so SPD can present usage policies and training materials before the council acts.

Resident Will Hewlings had spoken in favor of the purchase during the public-comment portion, calling LRADs a tool for “public safety communication, emergency response, and lawful notifications.” After Hewlings began, an attendee interrupted to point out that the request had been deferred that day; Council president Wilkerson confirmed the item had been deferred for two weeks to allow additional education and for the department to develop full policies and procedures.

At open forum later in the meeting, several speakers urged the council not to approve LRADs. A speaker identified as David warned that LRADs can cause hearing damage and noted the devices’ military origins; another attendee explained Genesis, the LRAD manufacturer, had sold similar systems to the U.S. Army and cited international controversy over LRAD deployments at public protests. Speakers raised health and civil-liberties concerns and asked the council to reject purchases that could later be used against peaceful protesters.

The council did not vote on the purchase at this meeting. The public record shows the department will return with written policies and training materials before the item is reconsidered.