La Plata Town Police, NRP, & MdTA?

[Kumba]

This just kinda dawned on me the other day, but for the Charles County system, does anyone know if La Plata Town Police are on there (maybe one of the many encrypted comms I keep running into), or do they have their own independent system, or do they just bypass it altogether and use something like Push To Talk cell phones or something?

Also, MSP gets their own TGID/patch on the county's radio system, but why don't NRP (who took over one of CCSO's old stations) or even the MdTA down at the Nice bridge get a patch to that system either? I'm guessing they just prefer to stick to their own radio system?

[ka3jjz]

I'm gonna hazard a guess - and it's only a guess - that there's some jurisdictional squabbles, or it's a money issue. I agree, you would think both MSP, NRP and the MdTA Nice detachment would have TGs on the system (interoperability, y'know), but who knows what the real issue is? 73 Mike

[Kumba]

Originally Posted by ka3jjz

I'm gonna hazard a guess - and it's only a guess - that there's some jurisdictional squabbles, or it's a money issue. I agree, you would think both MSP, NRP and the MdTA Nice detachment would have TGs on the system (interoperability, y'know), but who knows what the real issue is? 73 Mike

MSP has a patch actually, and they're always active (mostly traffic, which is part of their mandate in Charles). MdTA can definitely talk on the system, as about a year ago, I heard an MdTA officer radioing up to the La Plata district of CCSO and letting them know of a speeding car headed their way. But they must've just tuned their radio to that system instead of using a dedicated patch.

NRP has me baffled, and the database entry for them doesn't seem any clearer. They're setup in what appears to be an independent state-wide system, and like MdTA, can probably tune to the system of the county in which they're stationed, but why they don't maintain a simulcast patch is a good question. Maybe that's something the MD version of VA's STARS might address in another 10 years or so.

I think I heard that the La Plata Town Police have all of four officers or something. That's why I figure they just use cell phones, but I wasn't sure.

[Aa3rt]

Originally Posted by Kumba

I think I heard that the La Plata Town Police have all of four officers or something. That's why I figure they just use cell phones, but I wasn't sure.

The Town of La Plata actually has about a dozen officers and are planning for a couple of more. As the town limits keep expanding there's a need for a larger force.

During the workweek, there's a dispatcher at the La Plata PD on La Grange Avenue. After hours, weekends and holidays the town officers are dispatched by the CCSD.

[Kumba]

Originally Posted by Aa3rt

The Town of La Plata actually has about a dozen officers and are planning for a couple of more. As the town limits keep expanding there's a need for a larger force.

During the workweek, there's a dispatcher at the La Plata PD on La Grange Avenue. After hours, weekends and holidays the town officers are dispatched by the CCSD.

Neat! I don't get to go down to La Plata too often, so my knowledge is lacking on the small town police force they have. Indian Head I think is also able to have one, since they're also incorporated, but I guess they've not chosen to do so yet.

But what radio system are the LTP on? There's a trunked system by Champion that has no info -- are they on that, or is there just one or two conventional frequencies they work on independent of the county trunked system?

[TERRANCE_2]

It's been a minute but I think I will shine in on this. Having strong ties with the county public saftey I know a little about this.

Laplata Town Police- Uses the Charles County D-1 channel for dispatch because that channel covers Laplata & Indian Head. They have Motorola XTN 800 Mhz radios the same as the CCSO officers there is no patch.

Town of Indian Head- We don't have our own police force. There is a CCSO police station down here and the officers that are assigned down here work the whole west side. They are also Dispatched on CCSO D-1. When they made the 800 Mhz system in the county they gave the Indian Head officer's it's own channel but do to a lack of dispatchers they continue to utilize D-1 channel for Indian Head also.

NRP - I can't speak much about that. I just figure because of it being a statewide agency they rather just stay on there own channel's seeing that CCSO dosen't have that much contact with NRP to but a full blown channel for them. I think they have contact with them like 10 times a year or something like that.




Gave you the best of what I know !

[Kumba]

Originally Posted by TERRANCE_2

It's been a minute but I think I will shine in on this. Having strong ties with the county public saftey I know a little about this.

Laplata Town Police- Uses the Charles County D-1 channel for dispatch because that channel covers Laplata & Indian Head. They have Motorola XTN 800 Mhz radios the same as the CCSO officers there is no patch.

Town of Indian Head- We don't have our own police force. There is a CCSO police station down here and the officers that are assigned down here work the whole west side. They are also Dispatched on CCSO D-1. When they made the 800 Mhz system in the county they gave the Indian Head officer's it's own channel but do to a lack of dispatchers they continue to utilize D-1 channel for Indian Head also.

NRP - I can't speak much about that. I just figure because of it being a statewide agency they rather just stay on there own channel's seeing that CCSO dosen't have that much contact with NRP to but a full blown channel for them. I think they have contact with them like 10 times a year or something like that.


:)

Gave you the best of what I know !

Hey, thanks! That shed quite a bit of light on things. I figured D2 or something might've been Indian Head's, because I believe D3W is reserved for a future CCSO station west of US301 (to cover areas like Bensville, Westlake, etc..). Makes sense, anyways. Only lived here 20-something years, and only within the past two, have I actually been educating myself on the local happenings and such.

Is there a way to distinguish LTP from CCSO? I'm still trying to figure out some of the dispatcher lingo (i.e., diff between number 1 male/female from a number 2 or even a number 5), so even though I tend to keep D1 locked out (because between D3E and MSP, there's enough comms going on to entertain just about anyone), when I do tune to it, I usually just pick on the identifiers for CCSO units. Not sure how integrated the LTP might be with CCSO, given the overlap they probably have.

NRP's system breakdown in the database definitely hints that they got their own setup pretty fine tuned it looks. Making sense of it is not for the lay person, but they probably like it that way. I'll also have to try and see if MdTA is alive on their one frequency when I get a better antenna in. I just figured, if they were all patched in to their own talkgroups on the county system, it'd be a lot easier for scanner enthusiasts like us to listen in and enjoy the work they do to keep things moving :)

[TERRANCE_2]

Yes when your listening on D-1 you will hear laplata officers mark up saying ( Laplata and then there unit ID). Right now they have officers 601-624. So for example when they key up they say " Laplata 612".

MDTA NICE BRIDGE DETACHMENT- They are active on the channel that the database has for them. I am picking them up loud and clear from here in Indian Head. Pulling mainly traffic but has been known to back up CCSO officers if they have a call close to the bridge or on traffic on 301.

Hope that helps.

[Kumba]

Originally Posted by TERRANCE_2

Yes when your listening on D-1 you will hear laplata officers mark up saying ( Laplata and then there unit ID). Right now they have officers 601-624. So for example when they key up they say " Laplata 612".

MDTA NICE BRIDGE DETACHMENT- They are active on the channel that the database has for them. I am picking them up loud and clear from here in Indian Head. Pulling mainly traffic but has been known to back up CCSO officers if they have a call close to the bridge or on traffic on 301.

Hope that helps.

It does! I'll be listening for them and see if I can pick up on them.

MdTA is too far away for my rubber duck antenna (RH77CA) up here in Waldorf. But I finally snagged a Larsen for my car, so I'll have to give that a spin and see if it can pick them up. Pity the Larsen doesn't do Low-VHF, but I'd look a bit out of place with a 6ft antenna coming off the back of my car...

[Dewey]

Originally Posted by Kumba

...
MdTA is too far away for my rubber duck antenna (RH77CA) up here in Waldorf.
...

I wouldn't be too sure about that. I get the Nice Bridge detachment loud & clear near Fort Washington using nothing more that the RS 800 on the 396T... which is not exactly sensitive on the UHF band (the 396T).

[N1508J]

Originally Posted by TERRANCE_2

It's been a minute but I think I will shine in on this. Having strong ties with the county public saftey I know a little about this.

Laplata Town Police- Uses the Charles County D-1 channel for dispatch because that channel covers Laplata & Indian Head. They have Motorola XTN 800 Mhz radios the same as the CCSO officers there is no patch.

Town of Indian Head- We don't have our own police force. There is a CCSO police station down here and the officers that are assigned down here work the whole west side. They are also Dispatched on CCSO D-1. When they made the 800 Mhz system in the county they gave the Indian Head officer's it's own channel but do to a lack of dispatchers they continue to utilize D-1 channel for Indian Head also.

NRP - I can't speak much about that. I just figure because of it being a statewide agency they rather just stay on there own channel's seeing that CCSO dosen't have that much contact with NRP to but a full blown channel for them. I think they have contact with them like 10 times a year or something like that.




Gave you the best of what I know !

Back in the 60's Indian Head had its own dispatcher who was located in the old bank, now the town hall. Pappy Gladwell, Dave Gladwells (unit 35), dad dispatched for the sheriff's department there. Guess ole Injun Head don't rate no dispatcher no more even though it would make sense to assign a separate TG to reduce traffic for DI.

By the way, grape vine loose lips are indicating that D1 high muckey-mucks are pushing encryption on ALL sheriff com TG's!!!!!!! They are not happy that the change over to digital did not entirely eliminate the proliferation of scanner ears in public.

[Kumba]

Originally Posted by Dewey

I wouldn't be too sure about that. I get the Nice Bridge detachment loud & clear near Fort Washington using nothing more that the RS 800 on the 396T... which is not exactly sensitive on the UHF band (the 396T).

Weird, I get nothing on the listed frequencies for the Nice bridge. Checked my squelch setting and double checked the database to make sure I had the right frequency and PL Tone.

I'll be driving down around that area this weekend, so I'll check it again and see if it's just distance problems or not.

Can't figure out NRP either; they're as dead as the Nice bridge channel.

Originally Posted by N1508J

By the way, grape vine loose lips are indicating that D1 high muckey-mucks are pushing encryption on ALL sheriff com TG's!!!!!!! They are not happy that the change over to digital did not entirely eliminate the proliferation of scanner ears in public. :mad:

Isn't there some law about public safety being partially monitorable, with the exceptions being for things like vice or narcotics? I've noticed CCSO uses a lot of encrypted channels, plus the variations of them offered by the status bits. But to encrypt everything sounds a bit overkill. Aside from military TGIDs, are there examples out there in states that have no laws restricting scanners (like NY or FL) where a jurisdiction encrypts 100% of the comms?

[mike346]

Originally Posted by N1508J

By the way, grape vine loose lips are indicating that D1 high muckey-mucks are pushing encryption on ALL sheriff com TG's!!!!!!! They are not happy that the change over to digital did not entirely eliminate the proliferation of scanner ears in public.

Back when they first went digital, the Sheriff didn't have a problem with the public monitoring. In fact it sounded like he encouraged it...

CCSO Migrates to New 800 MHz Digital Trunked Radio System

[Kumba]

Originally Posted by mike346

Back when they first went digital, the Sheriff didn't have a problem with the public monitoring. In fact it sounded like he encouraged it...

CCSO Migrates to New 800 MHz Digital Trunked Radio System

That was the policy of Sheriff Davis, though. Has Sheriff Coffey made any public statements on the topic? The rumours could just be coming from a few people that are more security minded at some depth from within the organization.

[Kumba]

Originally Posted by Kumba

Weird, I get nothing on the listed frequencies for the Nice bridge. Checked my squelch setting and double checked the database to make sure I had the right frequency and PL Tone.

I'll be driving down around that area this weekend, so I'll check it again and see if it's just distance problems or not.

Can't figure out NRP either; they're as dead as the Nice bridge channel.

Btw, as an update, I was able to finally pick the MdTA Nice Bridge Police up. Seems they're just quiet most of the time, although their comms are really staticy it sounds like, even when I'm driving over the bridge heading to work these days (and I have a larsen on the back now).

They definitely love to run radar after the intersection of MD257, though.