Asked a cop their opinion on scanners and got a response

[lucky43113]

It's mikethecop on youtube

Mike, how do you feel about private citizens having police scanners either at home or in their car?


That's a great question. I've never really thought about it honestly. But I will now. I can certainly see a huge risk to having people have scanners in cars or as part of the commission of a crime. I can also see an issue of privacy. Cops, for example, are held to a fairly strict guideline on information that comes across that's personal. So, if you have a scanner and you get to hear what/where police are dispatched to, is that breaching someone else's right to privacy. As I spit ball a response here, I'd have to say that I lean AWAY from preferring scanners for that reason

 

[JD21960]

Asked the Police....

February to Date- Chi-raq IL
Shot & Killed: 32
Shot & Wounded: 117
Total Shot: 149
NONE of these were caused due to "police scanners" Johnny law needs to worry more about (twits or farcebook) where the real strategical ghouls hang out and organize against them.

 

[goodmore]

I thought you were going to say which brand name he recommends. He never thought of scanners? They have been out since the sixties! Ever see the old movie Dirty Mary and Crazy Larry? Having a scanner didn't work out too well for them in their crimes. If an officer shows up at your house the neighbors know it anyways. For me it has always been the thrill of the hunt. Being able to tap in has always been better than what was said. People are usually boring.

 

[jim202]

The point that many who feel that private information is being sent over the radio by public safety agencies should all remember that anything said over the radio is open for the world to hear. There is no right of expecting that what is said will only be heard by the person it is intended for.

Bottom line here is if you don't want others not to hear what you say over the radio, don't say it over the radio. Use the telephone or a cell phone. But remember that there are ways to be monitored to over these ways also.

 

[lucky43113]

I thought you were going to say which brand name he recommends. He never thought of scanners? They have been out since the sixties! Ever see the old movie Dirty Mary and Crazy Larry? Having a scanner didn't work out too well for them in their crimes. If an officer shows up at your house the neighbors know it anyways. For me it has always been the thrill of the hunt. Being able to tap in has always been better than what was said. People are usually boring.

No he never thought of the topic he asked in the video for suggestions, also he was thinking it was a privacy issue with all the personal info put out over the air cops are responsible for what they say.I know i hear all kinds of stuff including names addresses social security information so I guess that's where he was coming from

 

[KK4JUG]

It's mikethecop on youtube

Mike, how do you feel about private citizens having police scanners either at home or in their car?


That's a great question. I've never really thought about it honestly. But I will now. I can certainly see a huge risk to having people have scanners in cars or as part of the commission of a crime. I can also see an issue of privacy. Cops, for example, are held to a fairly strict guideline on information that comes across that's personal. So, if you have a scanner and you get to hear what/where police are dispatched to, is that breaching someone else's right to privacy. As I spit ball a response here, I'd have to say that I lean AWAY from preferring scanners for that reason

He's worried about privacy but he's apparently not well-informed. Police reports are public information, dispatch records (including tapes) are public and if a case goes to trial, that's public, too.


A 32-year law enforcement veteran

 

[lucky43113]

He's worried about privacy but he's apparently not well-informed. Police reports are public information, dispatch records (including tapes) are public and if a case goes to trial, that's public, too.


A 32-year law enforcement veteran

Im not choosing sides but i have thought ..man it would be easy for someone to steal someone's identity using a scanner. Name address birthdate ans ss number what more do you need . But regardless of that i see it like a firearm dont punish me for something someone else did i commited no crimes with a scanner.

 

[scanhopkins]

That cop needs to read your forum signature

 

[n1das]

He's worried about privacy but he's apparently not well-informed. Police reports are public information, dispatch records (including tapes) are public and if a case goes to trial, that's public, too.


A 32-year law enforcement veteran

What KK4JUG said.

mikethecop's bad attitude toward scanners is all the more reason to use them IMHO, especially if he wants help from the public in solving crimes.

 

[KK4JUG]

Im not choosing sides but i have thought ..man it would be easy for someone to steal someone's identity using a scanner. Name address birthdate ans ss number what more do you need . But regardless of that i see it like a firearm dont punish me for something someone else did i commited no crimes with a scanner.

First, I read the signature.

Second, Lucky, I said HE was misinformed. I was not castigating you. You were just the messenger.

Third, if they're running names, SSNs, etc., there's probably nothing to steal from those guys.

 

[Jimru]

No he never thought of the topic he asked in the video for suggestions, also he was thinking it was a privacy issue with all the personal info put out over the air cops are responsible for what they say.I know i hear all kinds of stuff including names addresses social security information so I guess that's where he was coming from

I'm a scanner head since the 1970's; not once have I heard a Social Security number! Of course, I have heard full names, dates of birth and home adddress!

 

[lucky43113]

I'm a scanner head since the 1970's; not once have I heard a Social Security number! Of course, I have heard full names, dates of birth and home adddress!

Maybe what goes over the air varies from place to place but here it's very common

 

[lucky43113]

First, I read the signature.

Second, Lucky, I said HE was misinformed. I was not castigating you. You were just the messenger.

Third, if they're running names, SSNs, etc., there's probably nothing to steal from those guys.

You're probably right I don't think they would have the best credit rating lol

 

[SCPD]

Just like laws every individual officer may define it differently as one may find it alarming or uneasy for a scanner another may see positive with it or want people to hear. Varies from every agency and every officer.

As for socials I recall a few who would read the entire ssn and other information. Most of the time it wasnt anyone of value to criminals to even bother with. They all eventually went to the last four only and or went to a secure channel when the capability was there. Solved the issue. One thing is for sure, once it is mentioned and brought up a alarmed officer will feed this information to a superior and changes will come of it when they all think tank about it. Reality is it is easier to lock everything down to have no errors and worries then have a switch or remember what channel is locked down and what isnt. On a daily basis the hobbyist may feel how hard is that to remember but reality is with everythjng a leo has to deal with these days it should be the last thing on his or her mind everytime a ptt is pressed. Some go to side channels or a few small ones use cell phones and other go full out secure to solve the issue.

 

[JD21960]

Cop said...

I agree with Jimru, I haven't heard a SS# read over the air in ages. Even the Hospital data read from the EMT's on the MED channels uses Initials instead of names. Yeah, I've heard some stuff over the air like addresses of some nut who threatened to kill himself or an apt # BUT that's a public service in my opinion. The rest of us know who to stay the hell away from that way. PLUS the Po-leece print those in the blotter anyway during the week online or in the paper.
I'm all for going back to the days where the Police were on the far left side of the AM radio dial. Ha!

 

[danzan77]

Yeah they never think about how it may benifit or help them. What about the bank robber that the police lost a few blocks back and and joe just happens to see him in his neighborhood while working in his garage

Sent from my LGL52VL using Tapatalk

 

[marksmith]

Your police department is pretty back woods if they read ss#s on open channels. I have not heard that for decades, if ever.

In most modern departments of any size they don't need to remember to go another encrypted channel to run background or confidential info because there is only one channel that does those. They don't tie up dispatch channels running that stuff.

Also, in most modern departments, the officer has the option to run the data on his own in-car laptop, connected to the confidential network.

A lot of police departments are learning that by using clear channels for dispatch and normal operations, and encryption channels for private info or special tactical situations, that they often get help from scanner monitors they wouldn't get if everything was encrypted.

Mark
536/436/WS1095/HP1/HP2/996T/996XT/996P2/396XT/325P2/PSR800/15X/others

 

[KC4RAF]

I've had a scanner of some sort for over 40+ years and have never heard SS number come across either.
When I use to live in Ohio years ago, a LEO that I knew was grateful that some of us had scanners. Reason for that was because one of my neighbors heard a bolo for robbery going down. He lived just a couple of blocks away and saw the perp running down an ally and called the police. Caught the guy trying to break into a house a short distance away.

 

[marksmith]

Your police department is pretty back woods if they read ss#s on open channels. I have not heard that for decades, if ever.

In most modern departments of any size they don't need to remember to go another encrypted channel to run background or confidential info because there is only one channel that does those. They don't tie up dispatch channels running that stuff.

Also, in most modern departments, the officer has the option to run the data on his own in-car laptop, connected to the confidential network.

A lot of police departments are learning that by using clear channels for dispatch and normal operations, and encryption channels for private info or special tactical situations, that they often get help from scanner monitors they wouldn't get if everything was encrypted.

Mark
536/436/WS1095/HP1/HP2/996T/996XT/996P2/396XT/325P2/PSR800/15X/others

Not uncommon at all. I have heard dispatchers passing on additional info from citizens on numerous calls over the years that pretty much could only come from scanner monitors who heard the original call and looked out the window.

I've had a scanner of some sort for over 40+ years and have never heard SS number come across either.
When I use to live in Ohio years ago, a LEO that I knew was grateful that some of us had scanners. Reason for that was because one of my neighbors heard a bolo for robbery going down. He lived just a couple of blocks away and saw the perp running down an ally and called the police. Caught the guy trying to break into a house a short distance away.

Mark
536/436/WS1095/HP1/HP2/996T/996XT/996P2/396XT/325P2/PSR800/15X/others

 

[DJ11DLN]

When I had my little B&E episode back in September, I mentioned to the Deputy who took the report that they hadn't touched any of my scanners, two of which were in plain view. I said this cautiously, and mentioned that I knew some people had "a problem" with civilians using scanners. His response was, "Why would they? It's all public info and we use either cells or MDT for the sensitive stuff." We ended up having a good conversation about it; he'd never heard the old saying about one of the best LE tools being "a lonely widow with a scanner and a phone," but he immediately agreed with it and said that he knew of several instances where people had called in info about people/vehicles of interest after hearing about it on the scanner and observing something pertinent. And he was a fairly young guy, 30 or so.

This was all before he discovered that I'd been an RDS with his Department back in the stone ages of the early 1990s. Back then we kept copies of all local frequencies in the Dispatch Office, to hand out to people who came in wanting to program, or buy crystals for, their "home monitors."

EDIT: Since getting back into the hobby several years ago, I've heard an SSN read over the air exactly once. The cop tried every other possible way to get a return before doing it. The subject in question turned out to have several wants on her. Prior to that...way back when, they used your SSN as your DLN in this state, so yes, I heard them a lot!