# Opinions On Scanners.



## 7costanza (Aug 29, 2006)

I have never owned a scanner in my life, kind of odd for a whacker wannabe. My queston is for LEOs in regards to whether the general public should be able to have access to what you guys/gals are doing ie response times,locations...etc etc. I have friends that have them, law abiding citizens that maybe just want a bit of excitement or whatever,my concern is obviously criminals using them, what are your thoughts?.


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## Guest (Jan 23, 2011)

Our main dispatch channel is simulcast over a public access cable TV station, so we really don't have secrets as far as regular patrol. The drug unit and other personnel who need secrecy use an encrypted channel or Nextel direct connect. As a matter of fact, when I replaced my phone a couple of years ago, I got the BlackBerry Curve because it was the only option for a full-keyboard and the Nextel direct connect, because the drug unit operates in my area quite frequently, and I wanted to keep secure communication.

I personally don't listen to the radio/scanner when I'm not working, just because I get enough at work, but monitoring the police channel can be informative as well as hilarious, given that most cops (including yours truly) are frustrated comedians at heart.


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## 78thrifleman (Dec 18, 2005)

Before I got on, my fiancee at the time got me a $600 trunking scanner so I could listed to the MSP. I listened to that thing religiously up until about 4-6 weeks into break in. Now I have no desire to turn in on, and the few times I do (when I hear a siren go by my house, which is very rare), I only turn in on to my local dept. I NEVER listen to MSP anymore. Even if I wanted to all I'd have to do is turn my radio on.

As far as citiznes... I can think of arguments against, but none for (other than entertainment). And we obviously all know what we all think of those that have them in their cars.


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## Guest (Jan 23, 2011)

I have a scanner app on my phone for free. As smartphones become more widely used, I'm sure criminals will listen in on us more frequently. 

Sent from my Droid Incredible using Tapatalk.


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## Guest (Jan 23, 2011)

7, I have an extra scanner you can have if you wanna listen to me call in shoplifters and HP spot violations..........


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## ArchAngel2 (Oct 11, 2005)

My personal opinion is that all police radio channels should be encrypted. In todays day and age where we are running short handed and the bad guys usually out gun us one of the easiest things I think we can do to keep us safer is to encrypt or scramble our communications.


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## firefighter39 (Apr 10, 2006)

I just get embarrassed at some of the stupid shite that the rocket scientist I work with say on the radio


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## 7costanza (Aug 29, 2006)

ArchAngel2 said:


> My personal opinion is that all police radio channels should be encrypted. In todays day and age where we are running short handed and the bad guys usually out gun us one of the easiest things I think we can do to keep us safer is to encrypt or scramble our communications.


This is what I was thinking.


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## Hush (Feb 1, 2009)

Scanners used to be a niche interest, until online streaming and Iphone apps came out. 
Sometimes I think it would be nice to know why 7 cruisers just screamed by my house, but then I realize that there is absolutely nothing I am able to do with that information.


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## firefighter39 (Apr 10, 2006)

Hush said:


> Scanners used to be a niche interest, until online streaming and Iphone apps came out.
> Sometimes I think it would be nice to know why 7 cruisers just screamed by my house, but then I realize that there is absolutely nothing I am able to do with that information.


There is a lot you can do with the info - like protect your family if there is a B&E or other crime in progress in the neighborhood.

I heard a BOLO the other day, near where my wife was going shopping, called her on the cell and warned her off of the area.

Nice to know whats going on in the 'hood, even in a small town


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## LGriffin (Apr 2, 2009)

I don't particularly like them, because I ended up using my cell phone more often to keep info off the air, but the bad guys get all of our other shit and better, so why not...


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## CJIS (Mar 12, 2005)

LGriffin said:


> I don't particularly like them, because I ended up using my cell phone more often to keep info off the air,.


Indeed


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## OfficerObie59 (Sep 14, 2007)

Living in the town I work in, I have a scanner at my house next to the entertainment center. It usually only comes on when I come home to eat while I'm working so I don't accidentally have a hot mic at my house when the wife wants to talk about her day at work..few things more embarrassing...


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## Guest (Apr 7, 2011)

I also listen to scanners on a daily basis for entertainment and to know whats going on. Does anyone know if they are illegal to have in your vehicle in MA? (no I don't have one in my vehicle)


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## Deuce (Sep 27, 2003)

hunter25 said:


> Does anyone know if they are illegal to have in your vehicle in MA?


Not illegal, just dorkey...


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## Guest (Apr 7, 2011)

We have had citzen scanner listeners call the station letting us know that the bad guy was hidding behind a certain house or area. People with scanners can be extra eyes for the PD. Can go the other way because the bad guys also listen to scanners.


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## Eagle13 (Jun 12, 2008)

OCKS said:


> We have had citzen scanner listeners call the station letting us know that the bad guy was hidding behind a certain house or area. People with scanners can be extra eyes for the PD. Can go the other way because the bad guys also listen to scanners.


But the dumb ones don't! And statistics show, most criminals are retarded.


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## jettsixx (Dec 10, 2005)

My mom has one at her house, she like to listen to it. Me personally I could not care less what is going on when I am not in the cruiser or on the desk. Besides we as police officers do not need them as we always know what other cops are doing.

My aunt was up from Florida last year and she says to me, "on the way up we passed about 7 police cars on 95 in South Carolina, they all had their lights flashing, do you know what they were doing?" Yup she actually asked me that. I had to explain to her that while the courts do recognize "shard knowledge" I think that might be pushing it a little.


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## Guest (Apr 8, 2011)

Deuce said:


> Not illegal, just dorkey...


Okay, thanks


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## frapmpd24 (Sep 3, 2004)

OfficerObie59 said:


> Living in the town I work in, I have a scanner at my house next to the entertainment center. It usually only comes on when I come home to eat while I'm working so I don't accidentally have a hot mic at my house when the wife wants to talk about her day at work..few things more embarrassing...


That's the only time mine comes on too. As a practical matter, if you are "that one" with the open mic, you are not going to hear co-workers scrambling and yelling "open mic, open mic." Having heard a few "oopses" :embaressed_smile: over the years, I have always taken the added precaution so as and not have my private conversation on the air.

And if I am out of the car speaking to someone in a private capacity, (school admin's, family, friend, etc), where there is no scanner, I simply switch to one of the detail channels, (that I have never seen published), that has limited range and ability to monitor the main frequency.


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## Big.G (Nov 28, 2006)

You guys gotta get a tone programmed into your radios so you know when the mic is being keyed....


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## firefighter39 (Apr 10, 2006)

mtc said:


> Without scanners how would the Enterprise/Patriot Ledger get their news "Tweets" ??
> 
> That's how they "break" news stories - they go online with what they hear over the scanner - gotta be first - FUNNY as all get out when it turns out to be nothing and they've got this banner running under their "BREAKING NEWS" title!! :smoke:


Wouldn't it be great to get everyone together and put out some false info about a "big story" then set up speed traps along the way and nail the media as they go speeding to the "story"


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## niteowl1970 (Jul 7, 2009)

firefighter39 said:


> Wouldn't it be great to get everyone together and put out some false info about a "big story" then set up speed traps along the way and nail the media as they go speeding to the "story"


If we did that then we'd have more reporters coming onto the site asking about "turret tapes."


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