Another baseless blackeye for scanners

[scrotumola]

Did anybody catch this line of crap yesterday?

Thieves use police scanners to get away in time|WOAI: San Antonio News

The video in this story shows a typical smash and grab: 2 punks bash in a glass door, make entry and make off with flat screen TVs. Evidently, the esteemed Doctor's alarm system also monitors audio in the premises.

The Doctor states that the video playback or surveillance tapes reveal the hearing of beeps, which the reporter says are police tones (cue SAEMS dispatch alert tone) and is convinced they are using the (evil) "police scanners" to know when the cops are coming.

No mention of provoice or how the local radio system is not (really) monitorable, except by acquisition of stolen radio or by going through extraordinary means not conducive to the alleged illegal activity.

What the good Doctor assumes and contends is that the beeps which she heard originated from a scanner-- I say PROVE IT. I know first hand that FRS radios are used to help coordinate criminal activity, such as look outs, lookout driver, etc and that said radios make certain beep tones that could very easily be confused by the unknowing as scanner tones. I've heard it myself numerous times!

Now I have been a fan of WOAI for years, but this story is clearly lacking in fact and hurts the scanning hobby, when in fact we, the hobbyist have now been delt insult to injury in being linked to criminal activity (I know, its a reach) on a ProVoice system which blocks the everyday casual and law abiding hobbyist.

Comments? Add them here, but ALSO add your thoughts on the comment section below WOAI's story on their website.

~S~

 

[frazpo]

Having a scanner doesn't help you in any way. So they may hear the call go out and decide to run. Aren't they going to run anyway? If they think a burglar, especially in a smash and grab, is going covert with earbud headphones and geared up like Jason Bourne, they have no idea about your common thief. Most people who commit burglary and robberies aren't the smartest. This is why they rob stores that have more cameras then a casino. We would like to think that it is glorified like the movie "Heat".

The whole listen to a scanner and get away from the cops is a joke. I am not saying it isn't happening but if a guy is counting on hearing the cops every move on the scanner he may be in for a big surprise.

 

[K3HY]

Having a scanner doesn't help you in any way. So they may hear the call go out and decide to run. Aren't they going to run anyway? If they think a burglar, especially in a smash and grab, is going covert with earbud headphones and geared up like Jason Bourne, they have no idea about your common thief. Most people who commit burglary and robberies aren't the smartest. This is why they rob stores that have more cameras then a casino. We would like to think that it is glorified like the movie "Heat".

The whole listen to a scanner and get away from the cops is a joke. I am not saying it isn't happening but if a guy is counting on hearing the cops every move on the scanner he may be in for a big surprise.

Similar to getting a ticket for traffic violation.
It's the cop that you don't see or hear, that'll suddenly appear out of nowhere. LOL.

 

[Michael-SATX]

Yeah Scrotumola, most Scrotumola, QQps, I mean Motorola FRS/GMRS 2-way walkie talkie radios
have a feature called "Roger-Beep" making an obnoxios load beep tone when done transmiting !
This beep tone lets the other party know that transmitting is completed and it's now their turn to talk, etc.
Most of my customers want that feature disabled (either by holding down minus key and turning on the power
or on many models it is a menu toggle feature). Maybe what the gQQd doctor heard this and NOT a scanner?
I would be MORE convinced if the doctors security DVR had actual clearly audible Police type comms !

 

[krokus]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.973 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

No mention of provoice or how the local radio system is not (really) monitorable, except by acquisition of stolen radio or by going through extraordinary means not conducive to the alleged illegal activity.

Have you contacted WOAI, with corrected information?

 

[exkalibur]

Wow, talk about ZERO journalistic integrity. Police don't use scanners to talk to each other, first of all.

Whatever happened to fact checking?

 

[CoolCat]

Sadly, the term "journalistic integrity" is quickly becoming an oxymoron.

National media generally misreports the news to further an agenda. Local media tends to rush the stories out with very little research done firsthand.

It is sad to say, but in today's media world one must read carefully to pick out the facts from the story, and reject the bias and/or ignorance the fills the rest of it.

 

[procopper7005]

The only way a robber would benefit from the use of a scanner is he were already under surveillance by detectives or something....which is rare.
Hearing the call go out on a dispatch chanel really does nothing.....they know the cops are coming wich is why they do a quick smash and grab and rush out in the first place.
Stupid media.

 

[gewecke]

There are clever ways in which a scanner can be utilized to cover one's tracks, but I'll have to figure out how to give my example without giving away the tactic.

73,
n9zas

 

[ipfd320]

OK and how do you think the News Media gets these jobs??? Thats Right they also USE SCANNERS---talk about a double standard...Just My Point Of View and Input

 

[gewecke]

OK and how do you think the News Media gets these jobs??? Thats Right they also USE SCANNERS---talk about a double standard...Just My Point Of View and Input

True, but many have no idea how to interpret what they're hearing, much less accurately reporting it as news...at least that's the tendency around my area.

73,
n9zas

 

[al95]

My local news station uses radio scanners. You can hear them in the background when they are doing tours of the station or doing special reports. They have P25 scanner unknown brand uniden or gre/rs scanner.