Baldwin County scanner feeds

KV4PM

Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2022
Messages
106
Location
Fairhope, AL USA & rural SE Queensland
Because he is taking advantage of gullible people who believe he is a legit news source and believe that he is a chief of police of a "college" that has zero physical campuses. Because he is using a free scanner feed to post his "news" and now wanting to make money off said "news". The list can go on and on
Not to mention that he is the likely cause of one local agency going from being in the clear to the big E.

I still am of the opinion that what he is doing is illegal in two ways; first, telling others what is heard on a scanner, and two, profiting from what he hears.
 

mike36507

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 7, 2005
Messages
197
Location
Robertsdale, AL
Unless someone really needs to know about all barking dog complaints, lift assists, and traffic stops ;).
With some of the nosy people around here, it wouldn't surprise me. Some people think they have to know where every emergency vehicle is going. If you're that nosey, invest in a scanner lol
 

TomServo

Area Listener
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 25, 2007
Messages
159
Location
Foley, AL
I could have sworn that there was some sort of law at either the federal level or state level about not sharing what you heard on a scanner, but after some sleuthing around, I can't find any references to that. Perhaps it was just a well known "best practices" thing from back in ye olden days when scanners were more prevalent and encryption was extremely rare.

Either way there would have to be an exception for the press, as they use scanners and in some cases have authorized receive-only radios for major city police and fire departments that allow them to listen to the otherwise encrypted communications. And that would open the can of worms about who, exactly, qualifies as a "press officer". There are a lot of credentialed freelancers out there but also a lot of so-called citizen journalists who aren't, and where is that line drawn when it comes to disseminating information from radio calls?
 

AB5ID

Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
777
Location
Lee's Summit, MO (Kansas City)
Possibly in the UK?
 

KV4PM

Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2022
Messages
106
Location
Fairhope, AL USA & rural SE Queensland
A grey area, to be sure. I'm old enough to remember when one could buy "Police Call," a book of frequencies sold at Radio Shack. There was always a disclaimer reminding readers that it was illegal to tell others what they heard or to use anything heard to their advantage, and that mobile use of a scanner required a permit in some areas. Ah, the good ole days.
 

TomServo

Area Listener
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 25, 2007
Messages
159
Location
Foley, AL
Somewhere, I have a Police Call from the mid-90s that I'd like to find for the old frequency lists for Alabama again. I bet that's where I saw the blurb about not sharing what you hear.
 

CORN

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 9, 2003
Messages
1,189
Location
Nashville, TN
Lindsay may blackball me here but isn’t that what the feeds are doing? Sharing what’s heard on the scanner with a few seconds delay? That’s what the bosses of all these E municipalities claim is their reason for encrypting. These scanner apps get these feeds from on location. Sorry but that is my opinion and I wouldn’t lose any sleep if the feeds went down.
 

KV4PM

Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2022
Messages
106
Location
Fairhope, AL USA & rural SE Queensland
Lindsay may blackball me here but isn’t that what the feeds are doing? Sharing what’s heard on the scanner with a few seconds delay? That’s what the bosses of all these E municipalities claim is their reason for encrypting. These scanner apps get these feeds from on location. Sorry but that is my opinion and I wouldn’t lose any sleep if the feeds went down.
It always did surprise me that that wasn't more push back on those feeds. I wish someone would come up with a way to license encryption keys so users who pass a background check and pay a fee would be allowed to hear encrypted dispatch channels. I've no issue at all with tac channels being excluded.

So there. Maybe you and I will be banned together!
 

sadave

Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2013
Messages
164
Location
Foley, AL
A search of Google and Facebook failed to uncover any organization called "Gulf Coast Heroes Foundation" which would suggest the organization does not exist. Any claims that part of the membership proceeds would be donated to this non-profit organization would constitute fraud and a little digging would probably find the "Foundation" to be a line item in his checkbook. If someone were sufficiently outraged, a call to the local police might be in order.

I sent him a message on his Facebook page asking for details of donations to the fictitious Gulf Coast Heroes Foundation. He blocked me.
 

mike36507

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 7, 2005
Messages
197
Location
Robertsdale, AL
Oh yeah he will block someone in a heartbeat. There is a business license in his name for Gulf Coast Heroes Foundation and some other BS businesses he's had throughout the state. This link may work Just have to search by his name, Richard McCann
 
Top