Do any LE agencies still monitor CB?

[KB7MIB]

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I also work weekends when most of the public service activities such as bike rides and the like take place. But, yes, if I had the time to spare, I would be more active on the radio and at public service events so that I had the training and experience...

 

[KB7MIB]

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to be a more effective communicator if and when my services were needed to be called upon. And many who do have the time to spare, do exactly that. I don't understand why you think there aren't any who do this? There most certainly are those who do.

 

[KB7MIB]

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Or are you saying that the public safety and emergency management agencies don't/won't call upon these groups for assistance? In some areas, no, they won't. The powers that be in some areas refuse to acknowledge the assistance these groups can provide.

 

[KB7MIB]

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Maybe this is because of bad experiences with certain "personalities" of some of the members of those groups in the past. Which is unfortunate. But in other areas, the powers that be most certainly do utilize these groups to the best of their ability.

 

[TheDude1969]

I received reply on ch9 this winter from local police, lil'chits throwing ice balls from bridge.

Been in a squad car or two... not sure of the norm but seen them set to ch19 and some set to PA.

 

[peterwo2e]

what i really find funny and stupid at the same time is the emergency nets that we hear on the uhf and vhf band and the ones that i'm refering to. sit behind the radio once a week to conduct emergency traffic and folks do check in and stand by for up to one hour, in my area i have NEVER heard anybody passing emergency traffic that i know about in the last 20 years or so. amateur radio will and always will be a public service hobby. but only about 99.9 of amateurs only serve themselfs. this is my point and my observation of this great hobby.

 

[kc8kek]

Ohio Highway Patrol

In Ohio, state troopers still have CBs in their cruisers, even the newest cars. I talked to a trooper on 9 about two years ago, so in some cases they still even have them on. A couple years back, it was common that they would call each other from time to time, but that seems to have died down. With all the skip from South America, though, I can't imagine having a CB on with anything but the squealch all the way up.

When you enter Ohio on any major freeway or turnpike, ODOT still has signs posted that say "Ohio Highway Patrol Monitors CB-9, KNN-3083". I'd love to get one of those if they ever take 'em down, but for now I'm happy they're still there.

 

[cifd64]

Nassau County (NY) PD still has signs up monitoring CH 9. dont know if they actually do or not.

 

[KC9ICE]

I don't know of any agency around here in central Illinois that monitors cb officially. Illinois State Police units are allowed to put their own in their cruisers if they want to. I haven't run this way in a while, but there used to be an ISP trooper that had an unmarked red Camaro who'd always be on I-55 down south of Litchfield that went by the handle "Hammer" and would talk to trucks. Tazewell county sheriff's department cars used to all have them, and i'd heard them on talking to trucks, but they seem to be dwindling as they replace their cars. No city PD cars have them that i've seen in the greater Peoria area. The Washington street department and Washington Township road maintenance trucks all have them and use them for chit-chat to keep off their VHF radios. I've seen a couple IDOT trucks up on I-55 near Dwight that had them. I have a buddy who lives near Monmouth up in Warren county who's friends with a couple of their deputies who have CBs in their cruisers. All the examples i've listed here were on channel 19, not 9.

 

[SCPD]

what i really find funny and stupid at the same time is the emergency nets that we hear on the uhf and vhf band and the ones that i'm refering to. sit behind the radio once a week to conduct emergency traffic and folks do check in and stand by for up to one hour, in my area i have NEVER heard anybody passing emergency traffic that i know about in the last 20 years or so. amateur radio will and always will be a public service hobby. but only about 99.9 of amateurs only serve themselfs. this is my point and my observation of this great hobby.

I will refrain from comments............

 

[LtDoc]

Referring to the original question, CB radios are not that common anymore. Because of how it's typically used, there's not a lot of practical use for them. That certainly doesn't mean that they are never used (or useful), but then, they aren't used as originally intended anyway. It's debatable that a CB radio would be worth installing. That would depend on each instance. If used intelligently, a CB radio would be a good information gathering tool.
- 'Doc

 

[KB7MIB]

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Several months ago, I was listening to AzDOT ALERT units on their trunked radio system working traffic control at a wreck on I-10. It was mentioned to a supervisor that they were using CB radios to tell the truckers what the detour route was.

 

[KC9VZV]

I drive out to NY state from IL every summer and I think it is Ohio that has a sign when you cross the Ohio/Indiana border saying that State PD monitors CB channel 9. I don't know how accurate this is or how many troopers actually do monitor it, but I have seen that sign when I drive through Ohio.

 

[gewecke]

I drive out to NY state from IL every summer and I think it is Ohio that has a sign when you cross the Ohio/Indiana border saying that State PD monitors CB channel 9. I don't know how accurate this is or how many troopers actually do monitor it, but I have seen that sign when I drive through Ohio.

The last time I went through OH, I didn't see one squad with a low band antenna for cb, so about as accurate as here in Il.
Troopers I have talked to do not want one in their car as they have enough to listen to.

73,
n9zas

 

[sloop]

As others have said...it depends on where you are. In my section of North Carolina local LEO's nor State SHP have CBs in their cars. There is an active REACT team in a county near where I live but they mainly use GMRS and CB as a backup (too much interference from ch 6 and Mexico on ch 9 & 11). Peterwo2e, as far as hams practicing all the time, I just retired from the Fire Service (Fire, EMT, HazMat) and I reviewed daily and practiced weekly. This was required so that when the time came to use my skills I would be able to do so. There is a methodology that is used in emergency work (communications or other) that must be followed for you to be useful at a scene. The old saying "Practice makes perfect" is certainly true. Just because you haven't heard emergency traffic doesn't mean there isn't any...you might not have been listening to the correct frequency. Most emergency traffic is local and will not be heard very far away.

 

[robertmac]

I know in my area and talking with LE people, they do not. And for the obvious reasons. Crappy Band is full of foul mouth people yelling HELLO, and swearing all day long. And comms. is only about 500 feet so one can yell further especially now with skip activity picking up again.

 

[mikerabbit]

Well as far as I have experienced in NY there are signs posted on some of the highways but I have never heard anything... otherwise Two years ago in Ostego county there was severe flooding with road closures and state Dot was on channel 19 advising of conditions.