St. Mary's Now ALL DIGITAL; Police Encrypted

[David]

On 05-AUG-2013, the St. Mary's Co. government switched to an all-digital communications system. As such, the old analog scanners are no longer able to pickup broadcasts. Furthermore, the police have encrypted their channels. Therefore, the public can only listen to fire and EMS broadcasts via a digital scanner.

I have updated the Scanner Page ( Public Safety (Police, Fire, EMS) Radio Scanners for Southern Maryland (Calvert, Charles, St. Mary's Counties) ) to include a new scanner feed, that according to the source is provided by the County Government, and therefore should be crystal clear.

Apologies for not catching this sooner.

 

[Railroad]

Kinda scary to have the police using encrypted communications for everything. I understand the need for tactical advantage and protection of people's privacy, but it still bothers me. This is a piece of the infrastructure which would support government activities that (God forbid) threaten or overthrow our basic rights, freedoms, or protections.

 

[David]

Good point Railroad. In the newspaper article, the Sheriff tried to say this was to prevent the criminals from knowing what they were up to. I really question this, as it sounds like the standard "national security" excuse to hide everything. I'd love to see the sheriff provide stats on the number of times they caught criminals and discovered police scanners among the criminals' crime kit.

I see the police reports every day for years on and end, and frankly I think that 1) the criminals are too dumb to use police scanners and 2) the police don't say anything on the radio that is going to give a criminal the upper hand. And just because all on-duty police are headed to the north-end of the county doesn't mean that any number of off-duty police are in your neck of the woods on their way home or whatever.

When governments operate in secret, you end up with...well, you end up with a mess like we find ourselves in at this very moment in history.

 

[Freefaller]

Not Understanding

Kinda scary to have the police using encrypted communications for everything. I understand the need for tactical advantage and protection of people's privacy, but it still bothers me. This is a piece of the infrastructure which would support government activities that (God forbid) threaten or overthrow our basic rights, freedoms, or protections.

I don't understand your concerns at all. Since when is it everyones and anyones business to know what and where the police are any time they want to know? I don't understand how our local Sheriff's office, having secure communications, threatens any law abiding citizen. It provodes much greater operational security for the functions of the sheriffs ofice as well as better personal security for the individual deputies. The criminals might not like it but that's a very good thing!

By the way, you didn't need a scanner to listen to the police radio, a lap top, Ipad or a cell phone would work just fine.

Charles County has had this system for several years now and the police there haven't overthrown the government yet!

 

[glhs837]

Good point Railroad. In the newspaper article, the Sheriff tried to say this was to prevent the criminals from knowing what they were up to. I really question this, as it sounds like the standard "national security" excuse to hide everything. I'd love to see the sheriff provide stats on the number of times they caught criminals and discovered police scanners among the criminals' crime kit.

I see the police reports every day for years on and end, and frankly I think that 1) the criminals are too dumb to use police scanners and 2) the police don't say anything on the radio that is going to give a criminal the upper hand. And just because all on-duty police are headed to the north-end of the county doesn't mean that any number of off-duty police are in your neck of the woods on their way home or whatever.

When governments operate in secret, you end up with...well, you end up with a mess like we find ourselves in at this very moment in history.

I can tell you a few weeks back, when two obviously inebriated gentlemen at Cooks tried to challenge me to a street race that the passenger had a hand scanner. Having seen this gentleman drive around before, I'm pretty sure his 91 Formula Firebird wasn't a threat

 

[DEEKAYPEE8569]

Scanners Not Being Used To Evade Police

.....but to be informed, for lack of a better term.
Scanners are helpful on road trips; across the state or out of state.
Why prohibit the public from knowing there's a pile up on I-40W? If non-LEO's have that information, they can lessen the backup; albeit by one vehicle; by finding an alternative route. Right?

 

[glhs837]

.....but to be informed, for lack of a better term.
Scanners are helpful on road trips; across the state or out of state.
Why prohibit the public from knowing there's a pile up on I-40W? If non-LEO's have that information, they can lessen the backup; albeit by one vehicle; by finding an alternative route. Right?

Pretty sure those two old drunk guys were NOT trying avoid the accidents around the Park Hall area I'm not saying that all scanner users are like that, but dont tell me that every scanner user is above board.

 

[Railroad]

I don't understand your concerns at all. Since when is it everyones and anyones business to know what and where the police are any time they want to know? I don't understand how our local Sheriff's office, having secure communications, threatens any law abiding citizen. It provodes much greater operational security for the functions of the sheriffs ofice as well as better personal security for the individual deputies. The criminals might not like it but that's a very good thing!

By the way, you didn't need a scanner to listen to the police radio, a lap top, Ipad or a cell phone would work just fine.

Charles County has had this system for several years now and the police there haven't overthrown the government yet!

I agree with all your points, but my worry isn't about today, it's about the possibly very ugly future.

 

[Railroad]

.....but to be informed, for lack of a better term.
Scanners are helpful on road trips; across the state or out of state.
Why prohibit the public from knowing there's a pile up on I-40W? If non-LEO's have that information, they can lessen the backup; albeit by one vehicle; by finding an alternative route. Right?

I've done that before with a CB, but not with my (now obsolete) scanner. Which is now for sale for REALLY CHEAP.

 

[czygvtwkr]

They saw it in a movie where a madman used a police scanner to stay ahead of the police, can't think of the movie though.

 

[Danzig]

I don't understand your concerns at all....

Charles County has had this system for several years now and the police there haven't overthrown the government yet!

No they didn't, they had digital, it was not encrypted until a few months ago.

 

[Danzig]

I don't understand your concerns at all. Since when is it everyones and anyones business to know what and where the police are any time they want to know? I don't understand how our local Sheriff's office, having secure communications, threatens any law abiding citizen. It provodes much greater operational security for the functions of the sheriffs ofice as well as better personal security for the individual deputies...

They hide crimes from the public all the time. There are still a few armed robberies that they have not informed the public of, and there are multiple other incidents that the public should be aware of, but now will have no clue.

 

[Railroad]

Something I should add to clarify: I have a huge amount of respect for Law Enforcement Officers. Their personal sacrifices and their courage and dedication (certainly they don't the job for the money) impress me so very much.

 

[DEEKAYPEE8569]

I've done that before with a CB, but not with my (now obsolete) scanner. Which is now for sale for REALLY CHEAP.

Well, we have a CB also, earbud and all; eliminates the griping from others about CB "noise." On those interstate roadtrips, the yammering truckers are surprisingly the best information.

 

[Misfit]

I just like listening because I’m nosey. :shrug:

 

[inkah]

2) the police don't say anything on the radio that is going to give a criminal the upper hand.

When governments operate in secret, you end up with...well, you end up with a mess like we find ourselves in at this very moment in history.

Several times I have heard things like the location of a victim supposedly being "hidden" from a protective order violator and search locations of police looking for suspects on the run. I don't know that it is wise to assume no criminal has figured out how to manipulate the system.

But I hear you on the secrecy stuff...

 

[itsrequired]

They hide crimes from the public all the time. There are still a few armed robberies that they have not informed the public of, and there are multiple other incidents that the public should be aware of, but now will have no clue.

So you are saying that a police agency is not reporting part I crime to the Justice Department as required?

You're a reporter right? How come you are hiding the information you claim to have that "they" are hiding? Are you saying that a crime occurred, you asked them about it and they denied it?

 

[Jbeckman]

Find local crime reports, locations (block number), registered sex offenders, etc. This is not hidden from the citizens.

St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office - Homepage
https://www.crimereports.com/

Someone posted criminals do not listen to scanners - I beg to differ. I know on Chancellor's Run Road - there are (tuner) cars racing various nights/days of week. They hear a call out for response, they duck into neighbors til the all clear - is some how relayed to them.

Additionally, if you wife, daughter, mother were raped, and the address, incident was aired (offense, location to send help) it certain hurts the victim. Same with family, domestic violence. If it affects the community - it will be reported. If it is more personal in nature - I think it is important to keep it that way.

And if you want to keep up on alerts - say a road closure, robbery, barricade - etc., sign up for NIXLE at NIXLE.com it is a tool many agencies are going to. And SMC Sheriff's Office and Calvert County are finding it an efficient way to keep the public notified; and allow the public to help. Calvert - last year - sent out an alert for a robbery at a CVS and moments later an alert with the photo of the criminal. Helps the public help the police. Amber alerts, critical person alerts, etc.

 

[Toxick]

Kinda scary to have the police using encrypted communications for everything. I understand the need for tactical advantage and protection of people's privacy, but it still bothers me.

Me too.

This is seriously cutting into my vigilante activity :/

 

[somdforever]

Re-Program Fire/EMS Channel

For those with scanners that can no longer pick up St. Mary's County, the Fire and EMS are still on, unencrypted. Program your scanner to 154.980