Scanners

[kwillia]

No it isn't. How is he to even know before a press release? How is he to obtain photos and comments from people say for example at a scene if he doesn't know something is even taking place? Yes, journalists wait to report certain information before it is public, but what if they never know about said information?

Public accountability within reason.

There are ways around a complete blackout.

The fire and rescue channel isn't encrypted. If you want to see crash scene pictures you'll still be able to see them.

As for crimes that he knew about because of only because of the scanner... he's already come on here and said that there a lots of things he knows about that he could never report on because law enforcement didn't release the info... Again, he doesn't release articles to his website without authorized information... he is not a gossip website... so you aren't missing out on anything. You never knew about it before... so now would be no different.

 

[MarieB]

The fire and rescue channel isn't encrypted. If you want to see crash scene pictures you'll still be able to see them.

As for crimes that he knew about because of only because of the scanner... he's already come on here and said that there a lots of things he knows about that he could never report on because law enforcement didn't release the info... Again, he doesn't release articles to his website without authorized information... he is not a gossip website... so you aren't missing out on anything. You never knew about it before... so now would be no different.

Again, how is he to know about it unless there is a press release? Currently, he knows about it and will follow up if there is no press release. That is what a journalist does. How do you think investigative journalism came about?

And again, there are ways to protect communications for certain operations without a total real time blackout


There is a bigger picture here about the public's right to know and how quickly that right could betaken away

 

[desertrat]

So that officers can communicate with each other without using their personal cell phones, or change a channel and not have what they are doing comprimised by someone they are trying to arrest. If an officer has a warrant for someone and needs to confirm that person, they use the radio. That information shouldn't be public.

So when a woman is sexually assaulted and calls it in, identifying information is not broadcast to the public.

So when in progress calls for service are broadcast, the person committing the crime doesn't know it has been called in.

There are many more reasons why they should, but you asked for one and I gave you more.

Any calls like that can be envcrypted.

The calls I would like to be able to hear are the ones where they are saying stuff like rerouting traffic or any other stuff that might be helpful in learning about a road being blocked. Maybe a high speed chase in progress.

 

[Midnightrider]

So that officers can communicate with each other without using their personal cell phones, or change a channel and not have what they are doing comprimised by someone they are trying to arrest. If an officer has a warrant for someone and needs to confirm that person, they use the radio. That information shouldn't be public.

So when a woman is sexually assaulted and calls it in, identifying information is not broadcast to the public.

So when in progress calls for service are broadcast, [/B[the person committing the crime doesn't know it has been called in.

There are many more reasons why they should, but you asked for one and I gave you more.

So the phone bank goes into action for each of those to alert the public to a criminal in their area? You get the phone bank to call all the women who might be assaulted?

Oh ma gawd, they would actually have to change the channel or use a currently available secure method of communicating. What a freaking hardship for the police.

 

[itsrequired]

Any calls like that can be envcrypted.

The calls I would like to be able to hear are the ones where they are saying stuff like rerouting traffic or any other stuff that might be helpful in learning about a road being blocked. Maybe a high speed chase in progress.

It is not practical to have officers changing the channel everytime you want to broadcast something in order to have people listening for high speed car chases. The average chase lasts about 5 minutes, so I don't know what the benefit, or chance that it would benefit anyone would be. As far as knowing if traffic is being diverted, that information is still available on the fireboard channel.

 

[itsrequired]

So the phone bank goes into action for each of those to alert the public to a criminal in their area? You get the phone bank to call all the women who might be assaulted?

Oh ma gawd, they would actually have to change the channel or use a currently available secure method of communicating. What a freaking hardship for the police.

Here is a hint. There are criminals in your area. If you need a scanner to figure that out, then it's not going to do you much good anyhow.

I know reading and comprehension is difficult for you, but prior to this radio system, only about 10% of the police agency we are talking about had encrypted radios. It was more expensive to encrypt single radios than it was to encrypt the entire system.

This shouldn't be a difficult concept with your scientific background.

 

[Ken King]

I see no problem with the encrypted communications, if it enhances LEO safety or helps apprehend a perp, then what is the problem?

 

[itsrequired]

Heh

Like only arrest information is important

And are you seriously comparing the FBI to local police? How many press releases do you get from the FBI, and how many cases impact you locally?

What crimes which you don't get on the scanner and are not available in press releases impact you locally? How does the scanner change that?

 

[itsrequired]

There is a bigger picture here about the public's right to know and how quickly that right could betaken away

The public's right to know is still preserved. Law enforcement still provides information about crime and other police activities. Law enforcement is mandated to report all part I crimes.

How does you not being able to listen to your neighbor's 1016 effect this?

 

[Larry1275]

Scanner

Stop Crying and Start Buying HaHa

 

[Midnightrider]

Here is a hint. There are criminals in your area. If you need a scanner to figure that out, then it's not going to do you much good anyhow.

I know reading and comprehension is difficult for you, but prior to this radio system, only about 10% of the police agency we are talking about had encrypted radios. It was more expensive to encrypt single radios than it was to encrypt the entire system.

This shouldn't be a difficult concept with your scientific background.

You say it so it must be true

So the answer is that the phone banks don't inform anyone when there is a sexual predator or home invader actively being searched for in your neighborhood. Exactly my point.

 

[RoseRed]

Public contact with law enforcement now done in secrecy -- SoMdNews.com

On Monday, Aug. 12, at 6 a.m. as planned, my “police scanner” did go silent. While I do have a digital radio, capable of receiving St. Mary’s County’s new digital system, why is my radio silent and why do I say this was planned? Simple: encryption.

I will admit, I’m somewhat of a radio nerd. I do not spend thousands on this hobby, and I don’t have the top-of- the-line units, but I dabble. I try to refrain from calling it a “police scanner.” I don’t run around playing cop. I simply enjoy being a little extra aware of my surroundings. When major weather hits, I have the scanner on listening to real-time updates. I’ve listened and avoided traffic accidents, fire scenes and bank holdups.

 

[itsrequired]

You say it so it must be true

So the answer is that the phone banks don't inform anyone when there is a sexual predator or home invader actively being searched for in your neighborhood. Exactly my point.

That is where you are wrong. Phone banks do inform people of critical incidents.

As I said ealier, that information wasn't put out over the air and officers had to use their personal cell phones to get some pertinent information. So nothing is lost to the public by now being able to broadcast that information over an encrypted line.

 

[Midnightrider]

That is where you are wrong. Phone banks do inform people of critical incidents.

As I said ealier, that information wasn't put out over the air and officers had to use their personal cell phones to get some pertinent information. So nothing is lost to the public by now being able to broadcast that information over an encrypted line.

You must not have ever listened to the scanner if you think nothing was lost to the public.

And as i said before, phone banks didn't inform me when we had home invaders being chased through the neighborhood. I used my scanner ap to find out for myself after noticing helicopters circling.

So it was lost, and no one called to warn us of a very dangerous situation.

 

[itsrequired]

You must not have ever listened to the scanner if you think nothing was lost to the public.

And as i said before, phone banks didn't inform me when we had home invaders being chased through the neighborhood. I used my scanner ap to find out for myself after noticing helicopters circling.

So it was lost, and no one called to warn us of a very dangerous situation.

When was this and what county was it in?

 

[Midnightrider]

When was this and what county was it in?

And you call yourself a cop

 

[itsrequired]

And you call yourself a cop

I didn't really think you would answer. Your story is b.s. You want everyone on here to believe that you and your granny, are the unluckiest people on the face of the planet and that the only thing that has kept you alive up to this point is the scanner.

Well here is one for you numbnuts. No more scanner, and you and your fantasy scientific lil world can do nothing about it. Go find something else to pretend to have effecting your life.

 

[G1G4]

Not to step in the middle of this intelligent conversation, but I'll throw a few scenarios out....

If an officer is conducting a traffic stop on Budds Creek Rd and has a driver flee on foot, he cannot switch to an encrypted channel while he's chasing.
If officers are responding to a hold up alarm at a bank, they arrive and armed subjects are at the door firing on them, the officers being fired on cannot switch to an encrypted channel while being fired upon.
If officers are responding to an assault and arrive, try to intervene in an active fight, and need help, when they sound a Signal 13, they cannot switch to an encrypted channel.

The encryption wasn't done to please the public. It wasn't done so people would quit listening to their scanners. It wasn't done to make people angry. It was done for uniformity on the police side of things. Why make all channels besides dispatch encrypted? Then every time you switch over, your radio has to send it's encryption key, the repeater and tower have to acknowledge and let you in the system, and then you have to wait to get out of CC scan and then you can talk.
You would be surprised, but I think the radio system is more of a pain in the ass then anything. HOWEVER, people are really confused on why things are done the way they're done. It has nothing to do with Danzig or TheBayNet chasing cop cars and ambulances and fire trucks. It doesn't have anything to do with officers not being held accountable for what they say over the radio. I think it's probably time for people come to grips that encryption is here and it's not going anywhere.
What happens if it becomes unencrypted again and calls are dispatched over the MDT's in their vehicles? It's beginning to get that way. What if communications dispatches to specific numbers as calls, with all the details in the narrative section without giving specifics over the radio? Wouldn't that be the same as encryption? Then, you still wouldn't know what was going on, because it's not public knowledge. The radio system isn't online for the public to listen at their leisure. It's there for officers to communicate with one another in real time, and respond to emergencies and calls for service by people in need.

 

[Midnightrider]

I didn't really think you would answer. Your story is b.s. You want everyone on here to believe that you and your granny, are the unluckiest people on the face of the planet and that the only thing that has kept you alive up to this point is the scanner.

Well here is one for you numbnuts. No more scanner, and you and your fantasy scientific lil world can do nothing about it. Go find something else to pretend to have effecting your life.

If you were really a cop you would know exactly what incident I am referring to.

So step up and say where you work and we can have all the in depth discussions you can handle.

 

[GURPS]

But a public that is ignorant to the dangers that surround them are nice and safe, right?

There are plenty of instances where the public are safer because they can hear the police broadcasts.

keeping you in the dark is for your own protection .......