Louisville, KY - Police charge man with smartphone scanner apps

[cengleman]

http://www.911dispatch.com/2010/11/police-charge-man-smartphone-scanner-apps/#more-4113

"After stopping a Kentucky man for playing his radio too loud and discovering he had a warrant, Louisville police added charges when they found his smartphone had apps allowing him to monitor police radio transmissions. The police action is the first reported case of criminal charges for possessing a software application allowing access to police radio transmissions via the Internet."

 

[N2JDS]

Kind of a weak charge . Would they have the same charges for anybody else without all the other charges I wonder? Kind of like getting a speeding ticket because your car could go over the speed limit.

 

[MtnBiker2005]

Linking this topic to the state forum area.

RR Forum Kentucky Area Topic: http://forums.radioreference.com/ke...96101-man-charged-possession-illegal-app.html

 

[Hooligan]

I think/hope that Kentucky law will be challenged. I understand the spirit of it, but the legislature needs to revamp (or preferably discard) it.

Kentucky law enforcement utilizes AM & FM broadcast radio to disseminate AMBER Alert law enforcement communications, and I'm sure some Kentucky LEAs use SMS/Twitter to send out law enforcement communication too. Thus, the way the law reads, having an AM/FM broadcast receiver or cell-phone capable of SMS in a car would be illegal.


HOWEVER, let's not forget that this is also an example of a criminal wanting & having access to some LE communications. The local PD was piling-on appropriate charges with the hopes that at least some of them will stick as opposed to just picking one or two charges & forgetting the others, but then having the whole thing plea-bargained down to virtually nothing.

 

[loumaag]

Closing this thread, please reply the the regional thread linked above.