Another USC shooting....

Status
Not open for further replies.

LAflyer

Global DB Admin
Moderator
Joined
Mar 4, 2009
Messages
1,827
Location
SoCal
Well its not called the University of South Central for no reason....

As far as a feed, USC DPS is on a Passport LTR system. Don't know of any scanners that can track that. You'll end up hearing all the other USC campus related departments at the same time also. (along with other LA Basin users of the UHF business frequencies)

The roving campus security ambassadors provided by the security company CSC however can be heard on 452.3875 DPL043. Sometimes you can hear interesting stuff with them, like a purse snatch and chase, drunken students, fights in progress etc..
 

karldotcom

Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2003
Messages
1,850
Location
Burbank, CA
I scanned some of those frequencies and heard every construction project in LA County.

Can you track an LTR Passport using Unitrunker hooked to a scanner? I can't even pick up a control channel....so...
 

inigo88

California DB Admin
Database Admin
Joined
Oct 31, 2004
Messages
1,990
Location
San Diego, CA
No. I'm familiar with the PassPort protocol and have been wanting to make a "LTR Analyzer" type program to decode it for a long time, but I simply don't have the programming experience or time to make it happen. The old programs "LTRDump" and "LTRTrunk" are the only ones I know of that do track PassPort, but they required a low pass filter (<300 Hz)/data slicer circuit board to be built and required an RS-232 DB-9 serial connection, which you won't find on new computers. Nor will those programs even work on a new OS like Windows 7. But most of the significant details of the PassPort protocol were all hashed out over 5 years ago in the radioreference LTR trunking forum, just waiting to be added to a software decoding program... :)
 

LAflyer

Global DB Admin
Moderator
Joined
Mar 4, 2009
Messages
1,827
Location
SoCal
Btw &#8211; I wonder if the shooting will highlight the long saga of trying to get peace officer status to the USC DPS.
Currently they are simply POST trained security staff with limited arrest powers. A special MOU agreement had to be worked out with LA City/LAPD to even allow them to quasi patrol adjacent streets off campus. They cannot enforce traffic laws or issue legal summons. From what I gathered the issue has to do with the legal black hole of establishing police departments at private schools under CA state law.
 
Last edited:

inigo88

California DB Admin
Database Admin
Joined
Oct 31, 2004
Messages
1,990
Location
San Diego, CA
I didn't realize that, that's quite surprising. It seems like USC of all places should have a campus police department with trained LEOs.
 

LAflyer

Global DB Admin
Moderator
Joined
Mar 4, 2009
Messages
1,827
Location
SoCal
Yeah it’s a bit of a unique situation with the inability for private institutions to establish police forces. I remember in the 90s there was even talk of a special bill in Sacrament to authorize such, and I recall were only 2 such exceptions in the state that were grandfathered in already.

Anyhow the USC Dept of Public Safety is split into two – Safety Officers which are armed and with uniforms similar to the Sheriff Dept, patrol the campus and adjacent streets. Their vehicles have white light bars with “Public Safety” lettering. Second is the non-armed Community Service Officers which do things like monitors CCTV feeds, manage facility access, etc.. Additionally few years back USC contracted for supplemental guard services known as ‘Security Ambassadors’. Currently Contemporary Services Corporation has the contract (that 452.3875 frequency) and provides high visibility patrols and fixed post guards in bright yellow jackets around the campus and periphery.

For anyone that monitors LAPD Southwest frequency, you can sometimes hear DPS Safety Officers pop on using "USC" callsign to do things like requesting LAPD to meet them, or even running wants/warrant on people.
 

gman65

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jul 15, 2005
Messages
68
Location
Woodland Hills, CA
It's been a couple of years but I was able to monitor their frequencies without a problem even when they were listed as LTR. If it really is LTR they may have some type of simulcast. I had them programmed in as conventional and monitored along with Southwest using a Pro-96 and PSR-500. There weren't many dull moments on the LAPD side most nights. DPS was mundane most of the time. But they were active and made some good arrests.
 

LAflyer

Global DB Admin
Moderator
Joined
Mar 4, 2009
Messages
1,827
Location
SoCal
You can hear a PassPort trunking systems, you just can't track them.

So besides inability to properly follow talkgroups, with the lack of something like PL segregation on LTR's you end up hearing anyone and everyone who is also licensed on the same frequencies.

In USC specific case, they are licensed on some very common UHF business frequencies which have dozens of other licensed users in RF dense LA basin. Not a very viable or pleasant listening situation.
 

karldotcom

Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2003
Messages
1,850
Location
Burbank, CA
I found it was a bit odd that USC is paying to have city trees trimmed to improve lighting in the area. But like they said, the wait to have your sidewalk repaired is over 50 years.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top