Balt City QRT

[doctordave]

Has anyone identified precisely which TGs are assigned to Balt City PD QRT/SWAT? They are reportedly dispatched via Citywide, but there seems to be some confusion as to which TG(s) they operate on while on-scene (in addition to relevant precinct TGs)........anyone have updated info?

Dave

 

[NINN27]

i dont have any updated info, but seeing as we are talking about a SWAT team, my "guess" is that they are on encrypted channels. but then again, i could be wrong. try this...


program your scanner with all of the currently known talkgroups for the city, but lock them out. then run your scanner in OPEN mode. this should show ID's that are currently unidentified. then the fun part... listening and learning!

hope this helps you on your quest.

 

[mlevin]

They might not necessarily be encrypted. Baltimore Co. SWAT team is on a regular TG. My guess would be that they use one of the "B" Series talkgroups.

 

[fourwd1]

They might not necessarily be encrypted. Baltimore Co. SWAT team is on a regular TG.

Yeah, but Baltimore County doesn't have any encryption capabilities, or you can bet they would be.

 

[mlevin]

Neither does Baltimore City. At least nothing documented.

 

[doctordave]

I guess we'll just have to wait for a SWAT callout and take note of the "B" TG they utilize on-scene......I would certainly think that they would want such a TG encrypted - but we shall see....

 

[mlevin]

Yeah me too, but so far all of th B Talkgroups are in the clear. We'll just have to wait and see.

 

[Metro174]

I recently heard Western District call for QRT for a a standoff. Western worked the scene on 7C. Same way Southeast did a similar situation about a month before.

Seems that every time they have a situation in a district, all units work on C at the scene. B seems to be only for OCD and district units can't access it. When a district radio is on B, it's C by default. Guess that's why district ops units often conduct investigations and do surveilance on C. Southeast and some other districts routinely do prostitution and drug stings on their respective C channel.

I have a friend on the RWATF. His radio has A and C same as all district radios. B for them and RATT is the Baltimore County radio system.

 

[fourwd1]

Neither does Baltimore City. At least nothing documented.

Like they'd spend tens (hundreds?) of millions on a state-of-the-art digital system and NOT get encryption capability ???

 

[Dispatcher308]

The Baltimore County Portables are Encryption ready but they do not have any encryption boards in the radio's

 

[mlevin]

Metro174, do the city units have the RATT channel in their city portable or do they have a seperate portable for Baltimore Co. I also know that some units have both the City and Co. system in their radio being that I heard one unit on Garrison then switch to Northwest.

Fourwd1, I really don't know. But as far as I know no encryption boards for theither the city or county. It's probably a smart investment. But hey I'm, not compaining I enjoy listening to the sting operation going on around the corner. I also know to stay away from the rear of the synogouge where the SWAT team is staging

 

[doctordave]

On the topic of QRT/SWAT....has anyone copied any recent radio traffic from the MSP STATE TEAM? I can recall copying them years ago on MSP High 3 (155.19) portables.....they are listed in the database as also utilizing 39.4, 39.24 w/ different PL codes than the barracks sharing those freqs.....wondering if actual use of these freqs has been captured. Considering how well funded the STATE TEAM is, I would think they would, by now, have some form of encrypted tactical radios for on-scene ops.

Dave

 

[fourwd1]

.....they are listed in the database as also utilizing 39.4, 39.24 w/ different PL codes than the barracks sharing those freqs.....

I don't know, but speaking of 39.4, the Frederick Barrack and mobiles are suddenly booming in. I'm picking them up loud and clear, even in my car, even as far away as BWI. I used to receive their base fairly good before, but not the cars. Maybe they've done something like Carrol County did?

 

[Metro174]

Mo, as far as I know, the actual RATT and RWATF channels are on the county system even though the radio is a city radio. Same Asto radio that all city units carry. Not sure if County units can access the channel or not.

Yeah, I heard that Precinct 3 had some radios that work on both systems. Makes sense since I had backup from a county officer at Milford Mill recently and noticed that he had an Astro radio. He left before I could ask about the radio.

 

[mlevin]

If the Co. PD are using digital radios they're most likely XTS5000s with the small keypad. A friend of mine who's a Volunteer FF told me that his station was testing them out. The time that I heard the unit on Garrison and then switch to city I think it was a city detective, and not a county unit. Do you know if the units that have the County talkgroups in their radios have the model without the keypad or the model with the keyad. I know that most patrol units use the one without, but I would think they would need the extra talkgroup space.

 

[Metro174]

We have a guy on the RWATF and I am pretty sure his has a keypad.