The "Mosquito" in Philadelphia
Michaela Winberg, "Sonic Devices Target Teenagers In Philadelphia", NPR 7/5/2019:
WINBERG: If you look at the rec center building at Philadelphia's East Poplar Playground, you'll see a small beige speaker screwed into the wall. Every night at 10 p.m., that tiny speaker activates. And for eight hours, it plays nonstop. Here's what it sounds like.
(SOUNDBITE OF STATIC)
WINBERG: Didn't hear anything? If so, it's likely you are not between the ages of 13 and 25. That's the age group this sound is targeted toward. As we age, some of the cells in our ears start to die off. So when we get older, we have trouble hearing higher-frequency noises like the one that this device plays.
Philadelphia resident Lamar Reed is 17, and he hears the noise loud and clear.
LAMAR REED: It's so loud. Like, it can – like, what if it damages our ears or anything like – something like that?
WINBERG: It's called the Mosquito, and it's an acoustic deterrent device, technology used to keep humans or animals away from a designated area. It's usually used by law enforcement or the military. The Mosquito was manufactured by Vancouver-based Moving Sound Technologies. Michael Gibson is the company's president and says he has worked with about 20 parks departments in cities around the country to install his devices.
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