Encrypting?!?!

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BillQuinn

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Why doesnt the news media fight the fact that public safety agencies are encrypting more and more of their talkgroups? I mean, if public safety agencies encrypt most of their talkgroups, the media wont have too much more news! Besides, I see it that as a tax-payer, we should have the right to listen to what our local government is doing.
 

jb872033

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yeah but at the same time...you a responsible listener unfortunately are like myself becoming minorities...more and more you hear about people having scanners on them while comitting crimes...whats to say that scanner is going to help them get away from police...HOWEVER i agree with you on at least fire channels...and the likes...they encrypt and there is no information...as responsible scanner owners like im sure we all are we would use this information to stay clear of a situation...or if you are vol. you might prefer using the sanner. i think that its a waste of money personally, a good solid trunking backbone in a large town is all you really need...just my 2 cents

JB
 

sjcscanner

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This is from a different thread kind of like this one (http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=99380):

43g70 said:
So you say as a taxpayer you should be able to listen?

Well you pay for the tractor they mow with, can you use it? No.

The radio is a tool just like that tractor.

If you don't like what they spend, run for local office than.

After I read it, it does kinda make sense...
 

w0fg

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BillQuinn said:
Why doesnt the news media fight the fact that public safety agencies are encrypting more and more of their talkgroups? I mean, if public safety agencies encrypt most of their talkgroups, the media wont have too much more news!

No, they'll just have to go back to gathering it the way they did before scanners....calling the departments, and taking tips from citizens. Back in the day, when I was dispatching for what was then called Iowa Police Radio (IHP), I got regular calls from the news departments checking for story leads. People forget that before the mid 60's, monitoring public safety comms was about as common as being abducted by aliens. Actually, I'd guess that these days the majority of news story leads come from citizens with cellphones.
 

tbnmaster

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BillQuinn said:
Besides, I see it that as a tax-payer, we should have the right to listen to what our local government is doing.

I love this argument. You CAN'T be serious!! I won't comment any further for fear of complete and total bannination...

By the way, congrats on the new call.
 

trace1

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BillQuinn said:
Why doesnt the news media fight the fact that public safety agencies are encrypting more and more of their talkgroups? I mean, if public safety agencies encrypt most of their talkgroups, the media wont have too much more news! Besides, I see it that as a tax-payer, we should have the right to listen to what our local government is doing.

Well, on the same token, how about the encrypting being done by many, if not all, Military installations and complexes around the world...

Or better yet, go to your nearest Military installation and demand to be allowed into those highly restricted areas that may contain Secret or Top Secret information and/or equipment!!!

I mean after all it is our tax dollars that are paying for that too, right? ;)
 

ibagli

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w0fg said:
No, they'll just have to go back to gathering it the way they did before scanners....calling the departments, and taking tips from citizens.

I could see that becoming very annoying for the departments, in the end. The pissed-off media outlet says "call us every time you see an emergency vehicle." People do, and the dispatch center has to fend off the calls where the outlet would have known exactly what was going on.
 

JnglMassiv

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Q: Why does [insert anything remotely construed as security related] happen?
A: Terrorists and criminals.

When crimefighting and antiterrorism is the answer, the question is virtually irrelavant.
 

zz0468

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BillQuinn said:
Why doesnt the news media fight the fact that public safety agencies are encrypting more and more of their talkgroups? I mean, if public safety agencies encrypt most of their talkgroups, the media wont have too much more news! Besides, I see it that as a tax-payer, we should have the right to listen to what our local government is doing.

Because the news media is frequently provided with radios that will decrypt selected talk groups, thus satisfying the need for openess with the community. Law enforcement agencies also respond to freedom of information act requests for tapes and transcripts of specific events. In the eyes of the media, encryption is not a problem that they need to fight.

We may have a right for accountability, but we don't have a right to listen.
 

w0fg

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ibagli said:
I could see that becoming very annoying for the departments, in the end. The pissed-off media outlet says "call us every time you see an emergency vehicle." People do, and the dispatch center has to fend off the calls where the outlet would have known exactly what was going on.

' Not the way it works. News departments check with PD and FD maybe twice a day, tops. They don't give a rats patoot about "every time you see an emergency vehicle" and citizens will tip the really newsworthy events. Plus, as was noted, in some cases they may be provided with, or allowed to purchase, an encrypted radio.
 

loumaag

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This topic is so over talked about here I am not bothering to move this thread, just closing it. Want to talk about this, take it to the wasteland.
 
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