police scnners

[MikeyB]

i would like to know what u think about police scanners and the public listening in on your job

[MPD3P59]

I say "whatever floats your boat." Take up a hobby that's more interesting or play with the kids some more. Scanners fall into the same catagory as Playstations and Nintendo, in my book.

[Don]

As long as they don't show up at scenes, who cares!

[SGT Dave]

There are times when it's a pain. Mainly when we have to go back to the office or call in because they can't tell us something over the radio (because of all the scanner jockeys) It makes me irritated I have to go 5/10/15 minutes OUT OF MY WAY because of them, and OFTEN discover the issue is about a neighborhood I was IN when I turned around, or something I passed on the way in! Happened just the other day (Friday!)

Also, it's not "proper" to give the name of a decedent over the air, even if it needs to be given, because of all the listeners. Such as on a fatal accident, theoretically you can't run the tag on the radio, "because his family might hear it." What a CROCK considering it's our frequency to be used to assist us.

Also, I've had people call in wanting to know why I ran their car, or their name, etc. I know they have a right to know, but it's STILL a pain in the A**-why can't that same person call in to HELP, or when we have a warrant on them?????

Also, my parents are scanner nuts. When I walk in, it goes off. Period. I don't listen to that crap on my time off. I'm amazed at the number of people who think we do sit at home and listen to the "scanner."

And 10-codes and signals have just about lost any meaning here-I'm wondering why some even bother trying to use them:

"Get onions on that Signal 8"
"I need to 10-25 with you-I got some 10-14 from an informant on one of your cases."
"There's a 10-40 in progress, involving a 12 gauge 10-99!"

Also, several times I have caught BGs with scanners while they committed their crimes. So they are used against us.

I'll probably get flamed, but I really wish the transmissions were scrambled/encrypted. I agree this is not a police state and we should not be "untouchable" but in my book, the above stated reasons would justify scrambling. This is not in writing anywhere as a "right" our citizens possess (i.e., "life, liberty, and the right to listen to police radio communication") but folks have just gotten used to it because it's so accepted, so now it ills people when we talk about scrambling-WTF?

[Guard Dog]

We call them scanner heads.

If any of you guys still use the 9100 MDT's, be aware that a sacanner head in Central Illinois had devised a way to read your messages using a scanner and a PC. It's been a couple years now and I seriously doubt I still have his web page but it was dedicated to the Radio Shack scanners. He posted the way to hook the scanner up to a computer to read the messages. He had the State ALERT system all aBUZZ for some time.

Scanner heads..They actually don't bother me. I have a scanner in my ham shack and one in the workshop. WHY???? I don't know.

[shooter1201]

There's a particular element in my town that plays CLOSE attention to scanner traffic, and as such, whenever we plan on dealing with this element, ALL communications are done via cellphone or landline.

[Glock]

My thoughts exactly, round these parts that's how it is though, digital Astros which already require a few thousand just to listen to, which also can be encrypted if needed...Don't ask how or why we have that kind of thing in Iowa...

Originally posted by SGT Dave:
I'll probably get flamed, but I really wish the transmissions were scrambled/encrypted

[kat2164]

Our dispatchers say that some of these SCANNER JOCKEYS have called in to HQ to report accidents on the road from their cell phones using OUR SIGNALS? This is quite bizarre to hear from civilians...I guess you really have to listen alot to get these codes down.... Their favorite is Signal 45 at the corner of Main ST which is a MV Accident....It tooks me months to memorize over 100 codes and that was listening to them everyday and Knowing what they mean, these people actually have to figure it out and they dont get paid for it! Must be nice to have that much free time!

[tcsd1236]

"scanner land".
That's why we send critical information via cell phone or MDT.

[shooter1201]

Locally, individuals can get a copy of our 'codes' from Radio Shack, along with all agency frequencies.

[JKT]

Originally posted by Guard Dog:
......Scanner heads..They actually don't bother me. I have a scanner in my ham shack and one in the workshop. WHY???? I don't know.

I keep one on almost all the time. Of course, I have more HAM frequencies in mine than LE, because the conversations are more interesting, in general.

[adam]

I have a scanner and use it occasionally. It can be interesting at times and I've learned a lot about our local agencies from it. As someone who is pursuing a career in law enforcement I've found it to be a useful tool. It's helped me to practice my codes, radio conduct, etc. I think it defiantly gave me an advantage in training and other activates I've done.

On the flip side I can defiantly see how people could miss use it and how it could concern officers. The last thing I would want is to make a traffic stop and have the guy listening to my radio traffic.

One thing which I didn't see any body mentioned, which I'm kind of surprised about, is the press and scanners.

[Cheese Whizz]

I'm not too knowledgable about radio waves, and the like.

But how do you prevent people from interfering with the channel, by attempting to talk over it.

And also, couldn't a thief be tipped off, somehow, in someway, if they're listening to the police scanner?

[MikeyB]

i agree with adam thats why i use my so i can know more about what goes on in my local angency my nahbor on the other hand is very nosey and he has about 4 of them on all the time and is always around when something happens in the nahborhood we call him the mayor hehehehe

[klar]

I listen to a scanner all the time while I am at work. If I hear something that I can assist in as my job relates to theirs at times I will call into to dispatch and have either the officer call me here or have dispatch relay the info I can provide to the officer. I also have numerous cameras I can put to use on the street to tell dispatch where a drunk driver is headed or how bad a accident is. I try to keep a good working relation ship with the police and I have many I call friends whom I like to know are safe out there. It is a hostile world that police deal in and having a citizen who will do all he can to help them without endangering them is a plus in my book. I could be wrong.

Klar