Noisy device at Vancouver transit station is annoyingly cruel: Advocates
A noisy new device at a busy TransLink station in Vancouver is being criticized by advocates who say the high-frequency sound it emits will impact vulnerable residents.
TransLink’s spokesperson explained that the device, called The Mosquito, was installed as a way to help crime prevention in the area around the Main Street-Science World SkyTrain station.
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A spokesperson for the company says they have received dozens of reports of “disorderly conduct and criminal activity” at the station.
“In an effort to address this challenge and prevent gatherings at station entrances, we have tested a device which emits a high-frequency noise to determine its effectiveness,” the spokesperson says.
A photo of The Mosquito shows it installed high above the ground on the building and just a short distance away from Thornton Park. Often, people can be seen sleeping in the park or on the street.
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That has led to a cry from advocates who are condemning the installation on behalf of vulnerable people who may not have anywhere else to go for shelter.
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Advocate Harsha Walia commented on social media to say, “They installed a literal repellant as part of the growing hostility to houseless people in public space.”
She called the device “cruel, violent, ableist, and discriminatory.”
“It should be an affront to all of us, in solidarity with houseless people and in defence of public spaces on unceded lands,” Walia added.
Downtown Eastside activist Karen Ward says the device is “an aural human deterrent on a public transit station facing a public park [Thornton Park].”
Pivot Legal Society, a group which represents marginalized people on the Downtown Eastside, simply called it “Absolutely cruel.”
Can you hear it?
TransLink says that the device is not active currently and it “will consider all options to ensure the safety of our transit riders and employees.”
Daily Hive checked it out in person on Thursday and we did not hear any noises, however, some argue that they have heard the sound and that it is unpleasant to the ears.
High-frequency sounds are also more difficult for older people to hear — typically our hearing starts to go downhill with age — which is why some businesses have installed these devices to prevent teenagers from loitering as it can only be heard by those under 25.
However, TransLink did not specify exactly what frequency this device emits or who exactly is intended to be deterred by it.
TransLink did say it is looking at new ways to improve safety on and around its system. In part of doing so, it has “stepped up high visibility patrols on the transit system, including at bus stops, bus loops, and SkyTrain Stations.”
Meanwhile, Transit police are adding two dozen new officers specialized in community policing, crisis de-escalation, mental health awareness, legal studies, and traffic safety through its Community Safety Officer Program.
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