SMC Police Alternative for Lost Scanner Broadcasts

[David]

When St. Mary's Co. went to digital radio communications, the police decided to encrypt their broadcasts. So, citizens were no longer able to listen to broadcasts via radio scanners such as the ones we offered online.

The Sheriff just announced today that their RSS feed of Dispatch calls is again operational. I noted that they do not provide names or street addresses as I believe they did a few years before.

It was always my belief that the local ambulance chaser websites learned of the alleged suicide attempt by a county commissioner via this feed (Something that in my opinion was highly personal and no business being in the public spotlight). The feed was taken down not long after that incident, if I am not mistaken.

In any case, here is the press release:

On October 30, 2013, citizens and media outlets will have access to an RSS feed. The RSS feed relays information from the Sheriff’s Office Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) and will provide information on the calls for service deputies respond to, including the call type and town location of the call for service. The information contained in the RSS feed will be on a twenty (20) minute delay.

Sheriff Cameron is providing this information to ensure citizens and media outlets interested in the nature and location of calls for service can receive this information over any Internet capable device with the link below:


https://gwweb.co.saint-marys.md.us/coprss.xml

 

[Chris0nllyn]

So, all we get is the type of call, and location?

113057082*14:02:11*TRESPASSING*LEXINGTON PARK

Forgive my ignorance, but what are the numbers out front for?

 

[OldHillcrestGuy]

So, all we get is the type of call, and location?

113057082*14:02:11*TRESPASSING*LEXINGTON PARK

Forgive my ignorance, but what are the numbers out front for?

I think the 305 maybe the julian date and the 7082 might be the incident number assigned to the call, the 11 I have no idea.