LEO use profane language on ham radios installed in patrol cars

[chrismol1]

check this out
INDIANAPOLIS -- Dozens of illicit radios were ordered removed from Indianapolis police cars after ham radio operators complained about the language officers used on radio frequencies they aren't supposed to be utilizing.
Hundreds of police officers used what they called a second radio to talk to other officers, but those radios don't have federal authorization, 6News' Jack Rinehart reported.
they musta not known the law or thought that they were above the law

Officers Ordered To Stop Profane Talk On Illegal Radios - Indiana News Story - WRTV Indianapolis

[masonb]

And they keep saying encryption, encryption, encryption.
I know there are both bad and good, but right on for the hammy's to get something done about the rotten!

[rdale]

http://www.radioreference.com/forums...al-radios.html

[mikepdx]

Posted 2 days ago in News and Announcements
It's the #1 story on the home page of RR

[kb9sxk]

I think one of the complainers is on this very board. He was Bit*hing and moaning about it a few months ago in the Indiana forum.

[JoeyC]

Originally Posted by kb9sxk

I think one of the complainers is on this very board. He was Bit*hing and moaning about it a few months ago in the Indiana forum.

You got it good buddy, a so-called scanner hobbyist helping to pave the way for unmonitorable communications (encryption) for all. Way to go ham radio operator.

[Ray_Air]

Originally Posted by JoeyC

You got it good buddy, a so-called scanner hobbyist helping to pave the way for unmonitorable communications (encryption) for all. Way to go ham radio operator.

Yeah, it's the ham operators fault

Maybe LE should have just got themselves some Nextel's.

[kb9sxk]

Originally Posted by Ray_Air

Yeah, it's the ham operators fault

Maybe LE should have just got themselves some Nextel's.

Hey, I'm not assinging fault.

Were the cops wrong for using ham freqs? Yes

should they have got a Business band freq and a lic or used murs? Yes

Should they have been cussing? No

Should the fact that the cops had a "tac channel" even made the news or even been an isssue? NO!

when most radio nuts find a find like this, they don't try to kill it.

[zz0468]

Originally Posted by kb9sxk

when most radio nuts find a find like this, they don't try to kill it.

They do, and should, if it causes harmful interference to legitimate users.

[rfradioconsult]

The City of Indianapolis was also guilty of duplicity in this matter and should be held accountable; the same as a trucking company that allows drivers to install and operate an illegal radio in the 10 meter amateur band.

Didn't someone post a blurb about some law enforcement agency that had 2 meter frequency(s) programmed in their radios a couple of months ago?

[trace1]

Originally Posted by JoeyC

You got it good buddy, a so-called scanner hobbyist helping to pave the way for unmonitorable communications (encryption) for all. Way to go ham radio operator.

Turn the tables around for a minute...

Suppose that a Ham was operating on that Police frequency, just how soon do you think those cops would have had, or wanted, that unauthorized station SHUT DOWN???

[JoeyC]

Originally Posted by trace1

Turn the tables around for a minute...

Suppose that a Ham was operating on that Police frequency, just how soon do you think those cops would have had, or wanted, that unauthorized station SHUT DOWN???

From all the chatter I have read regarding this, I have come to the conclusion that they were using modified ham radios to transmit in the 156-157 mhz range. I wasn't aware that amateur operators routinely worked in this range of frequencies.
I may be wrong as I don't live in Indiana to have heard first hand where this offensive radio traffic occured, apparently for many years, and who if anyone was negatively affected.

I don't disagree that use of the radios in this manner is illegal.
Your scenario of hams on police frequencies is of no comparison for obvious reasons.
If there was blantent interference to other hams or services I could see the problem.

I equate this to running red lights when there is no one else in intersection and no one around. Is this illegal? Yes. Is there any harm done? Probably not. Do I advise people start running lights when the intersection is clear? Of course not.

This action was one ham operator and scanner enthusiasts mission to police the airwaves and make a name for himself (although he remains anonymous on the TV he doesn't on this forum).

I could HALF-WAY see someone complaining about this activity if they were not into the hobby of scanning but to see a fellow scanner enthusiast, who supposedly monitors the public safety, municipal, state and federal agencies as a hobby like many of us, STAB the agency in the back because they ILLEGALLY ran a red light at a vacant intersection is pathetic. And people wonder why, gripe and complain that more departments are turning to encryption on their radios.

If maritime radio users come forward to complain about this interference (if in fact this occurred in 156-157 mhz), I would have some different opinions on this, but to have a listener make the complaint is lame.

[Ray_Air]

This reminds me of something a few years back. I bought about 4 or 5 old Relm VHF mobile radios that used to be used by a police department in Iowa. When I was going through the channels in the radio with a frequency counter I discovered they had 4 marine band channels in them labeled as "Surv" (surveillance, low power).

These folk were using marine band for surveillance channels.

[rfradioconsult]

The FCC will waiver marine part 87 vhf frequencies to be licensed in other services; especially in inland locations.

[kb9sxk]

Originally Posted by zz0468

They do, and should, if it causes harmful interference to legitimate users.

I do not think this was an issue.

It was simply the self appointed radio police.

[PolarBear25]

Outlaw All Hams.

[zz0468]

Originally Posted by kb9sxk

I do not think this was an issue.

It was simply the self appointed radio police.

Is this based on fact, or based on opinion?

As for "self appointed radio police", there exists an organization within the ARRL who's function is to deal with, among other things, unlicensed intruders to the amateur bands. They are in essence, an FCC auxiliary group and are hardly self appointed. Perhaps they spotted this. Or, perhaps someone out there reported it simply as an unknown intruder into the band.

But really, the story I've seen published on this hardly leaves enough to speculate on, let alone any hard facts.

[PHOENIX_SCANNER]

This is exactly the FCC I expect to see. They find direct evidence that people are pirating the marine band and broadcasting obscene language and yet they do NOTHING about it. Nothing. The same thing they do about other piracy like GMRS. Where are the big fines people love to talk about? I don't care if it was Santa Claus doing this, how can they not be handing out fines?

The FCC is really something isn't it?

By the way the marine band is full of piracy around here as well, used by business, schools, churches, etc. It has been reported just like all the commercial GMRS piracy, and year after year after year the FCC refuses to do anything about it. I heard a guy in a Best Buy one day advising a couple of guys looking for hunting radios they would be better off buying a couple of marine band radios instead of GMRS because they would get "better range". He said he had friends who were "tuners" who used them to warn eachother when they saw cops.