Findlay PD transmitting in the clear?

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grumpy_hermit

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Due to a wildcard hit, I've been picking up traffic on TG 23456 (Findlay PD) via the Lima tower. I thought that they were encrypting their traffic. What's up?
 

JD72305

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They stated that they will be doing encryption but their main focus is making sure the switch was correct and complete. They stated they can't give a timeline when it will happen so yea... Lets just hope they forget! :) :) :) lol
 

AMDXP

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I think they may very well be waiting until they know who their chief is going to be. Right now the current chief of police is the one wanting encryption. He's up for the permanent position, however there are other candidates. According to a recent Courier article the decision will be soon.
 

JD72305

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I think they may very well be waiting until they know who their chief is going to be. Right now the current chief of police is the one wanting encryption. He's up for the permanent position, however there are other candidates. According to a recent Courier article the decision will be soon.

If this is true, which I would be very inclined to believe then Horne, the acting police chief was appointed today. See Below;

UPDATED: Horne is Findlay's new police chief
Greg Horne is Findlay’s new police chief.

Horne, who had been a captain, has been acting police chief since Bill Spraw retired about a year ago.

He, along with Lts. Scott Lowry, Sean Young and Chuck Wilson were all candidates for the position.

A representative from the mayor’s office confirmed the appointment around 2:45 p.m. today.,,,,,

So if that's what they were waiting for, I would assume it should switch over soon.
 

AMDXP

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I was picking it up too, but not sure what it was. That TG is M-CALL 2 a mutual aid frequency. I really wasn't paying that much attention to it.
 

nbemsfire05

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Need help

I have a Uniden Bearcat BC785D with the digital card installed in back. I am trying to monitor hancock county marcs but cannot figure out how to programm I am from the Findlay area if anyone can help i am willing to pay. Thanks
 

Dubbin

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Well they flipped the switch and just like that there is no longer any Findlay PD traffic :mad:
 

kendrik578

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Wouldn't do any good. I'm just lost now, yesterday the PD had my street closed off and I have no idea why...

I couldn't imagine how it feels to lose your local PD to encryption. I have always said, if my local city go's encrypted i think it would hurt me so bad i just might have to give up the hobby. Losing your local public safety to encryption would be like losing a family member to me. Just my thoughts.

I know there is other things besides public safety to listen to but its just not the same.
 
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I couldn't imagine how it feels to lose your local PD to encryption. I have always said, if my local city go's encrypted i think it would hurt me so bad i just might have to give up the hobby. Losing your local public safety to encryption would be like losing a family member to me. Just my thoughts.

I know there is other things besides public safety to listen to but its just not the same.


The other result of this can be a loss of public support for law enforcement to include the public being less forth coming after a crime. While at this stage our police traffic isn't encrypted it could become a reality. A good example of this would be here in Columbus there are a many cases that will never be solved due to the public being snake bitten believing cooperation was a good idea.


While there are other things to monitor from the information I've received there seems to be a real internal battle going on in Findlay.
 

rdale

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The other result of this can be a loss of public support for law enforcement to include the public being less forth coming after a crime.

I doubt it. 99% of the people who call in reports to Crimestoppers or whatever have NO idea what encryption is, let alone who uses it.
 

2m2z1t

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Findlay Police Encryption

Just wanted to confirm it...if you don't already know by now...FPD is now fully encrypting their traffic. I first noticed it a couple of days ago. I am hoping that it will turn out to be a new "toy" and when they tire of it the will switch back to transmitting routine traffic in the clear and using encryption for really serious things...preferably on another TG. I doubt that anything the public has to say will help the matter but if anyone wants to suggest any way to get them to decrypt feel free to let me know about, it my email is crlmv@msn.com.

Maybe we all ought to dust off our old CB radios and when we are out and about and observe a PD unit simply broadcast it on the local CB monitoring channel, or if we see them gathered somewhere do the same thing. No, I am NOT suggesting following them around....but...if we happen to observe them just broadcast it on the CB as a "public service bulletin". After all, forty or fifty observers should be able to keep track...we may not know exactly what they are doing but we can know where and how it is being done. If they find out this is going on, maybe it will give them second thoughts about becoming a "secret police" when they find it is bringing them under more public scrutiny and they are being watched more closely than ever. Just a crazy thought?
 

ibagli

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I am hoping that it will turn out to be a new "toy" and when they tire of it the will switch back to transmitting routine traffic in the clear and using encryption for really serious things...preferably on another TG.

Why would they, though? Switching back and forth based on the level of severity of the incident would tire a lot faster than omnipresent, unnoticeable encryption.
 

2m2z1t

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Findlay Police Encryption

What I was referring to when I said they would tire of it is that some folks when they get something new just have to use it for no other reason than they can, or because it gives them a feeling of power. Such as a certain president having sex in the oval office " because he knew he could" Maybe it will generate enough ill will from the public that they will see "just because they can" doesn't mean they should!!! We can hope. The real joke is that they never even checked with other departments to see why they were not using encryption. A quick check of the database of various counties and cities around us shows little or no other full time encryption. Interestingly, Fostoria just 15 miles away changed their radios within the last year or so, they are on 453mhz, no encryption and no apparent connection with MARCS not even 800mhz...shame... shame....they can be monitored on an el cheapo scanner...and we all know there is no crime problems in Fostoria. But then Findlay PD has been messed up for years. I have been told by those on the force that most of them have applications in for other departments and if the other departments call they are gone!!! I still think we need to dust off the old CB and keep track of them ourselves....just because we can!!
 

AMDXP

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I think part of the reason they went with it is I'm sure they were able to
get those "costs" of using encryption paid for when they switched with the grant money they received, someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I had an SO deputy tell me that they don't want the SO to be able to listen in. Hell, even on the old system they didn't even allow the SO to have a radio for relay. The SO had to use a scanner to hear about anything going on with FPD.

I don't know if the SO still has the ablity to listen in on PD traffic even though they're encrypted since they're both on marcs.

Personally I think it would be hilarious if someone were to get a MARCS radio to FPD programmed and place it in a secret location to be streamed via a 3rd party (not RR).


I do agree I think it's a Power Play, and a "just cause they can" even though they could do it on their old system.
 
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