Last night my girlfriend finally started to really understand why I love scanning.
As we were lying in bed I had some traffic come through on the MCSO Special Inv 1 TG that got my attention. Two patrol units and an undercover unit were chasing a drug cartel car north on SR85 from Gila Bend that had refused to pull over. They asked the dispatcher to request that Buckeye PD lay down stop sticks ahead of them. So then I started monitoring Buckeye PD on channel 1 (the only channel I have ever seen them use) as well as MCSO. They were coordinating laying down the sticks but the chase was moving too fast and went by before they could lay them down. Plus the Buckeye guys were mad because the MCSO guys were following too closely for them to safely lay down sticks. So Buckeye joined in the chase, now switching to channel 2 (first time I've heard it used). Soon, DPS West became involved and I was now moving quickly between the frequencies / talk groups for the three agencies hearing them trying to coordinate.
Eventually the bad guys dictched the car in the desert (about 2 miles from my home) and began running. Buckeye PD and MCSO, and DPS were all out searching, and now a Goodyear PD K9 unit joined in the search and I was now monitoring four agencies. About this time, MCSO requested the Phoenix PD air unit and two of them headed that way at full speed (about 200 MPH). As I monitored their air to air traffic on 123.025, they were discussing strategy (one had a working FLIR and the other didn't).
The whole time, the MCSO guys were stressing out that nobody was able to patch the Phoenix Firebird to the MCSO system, or patch Buckeye to MCSO. (Metro Phoenix municipalities have spend millions on their "interop" frequencies / patching systems).
After about five minutes after the bad guys ditched the car, MCSO was able to patch the Phoenix PD Firebirds into the MCSO system and once that happened, the bad guys didn't stand a chance. The MCSO guys (with the Goodyear K9 unit) helped by the Firebirds tracked them down one by one. One guy got chewed up by the dog (crying shame huh?). I then listened to Buckeye FD units respond to that call and get stuck in the desert (no place to turn around!).
Meanwhile, Buckeye PD units went back to the chase scene, and after some searching found the bales of pot the drug cartel guys apparently tossed out the window. Listening to the helicopters "chatter" on "company" (123.55) I learned that there was actually a second car which they were looking for that had gunmen in it to protect the shipment, though that car got away.
You can't get this kind of entertainment any other way.
As we were lying in bed I had some traffic come through on the MCSO Special Inv 1 TG that got my attention. Two patrol units and an undercover unit were chasing a drug cartel car north on SR85 from Gila Bend that had refused to pull over. They asked the dispatcher to request that Buckeye PD lay down stop sticks ahead of them. So then I started monitoring Buckeye PD on channel 1 (the only channel I have ever seen them use) as well as MCSO. They were coordinating laying down the sticks but the chase was moving too fast and went by before they could lay them down. Plus the Buckeye guys were mad because the MCSO guys were following too closely for them to safely lay down sticks. So Buckeye joined in the chase, now switching to channel 2 (first time I've heard it used). Soon, DPS West became involved and I was now moving quickly between the frequencies / talk groups for the three agencies hearing them trying to coordinate.
Eventually the bad guys dictched the car in the desert (about 2 miles from my home) and began running. Buckeye PD and MCSO, and DPS were all out searching, and now a Goodyear PD K9 unit joined in the search and I was now monitoring four agencies. About this time, MCSO requested the Phoenix PD air unit and two of them headed that way at full speed (about 200 MPH). As I monitored their air to air traffic on 123.025, they were discussing strategy (one had a working FLIR and the other didn't).
The whole time, the MCSO guys were stressing out that nobody was able to patch the Phoenix Firebird to the MCSO system, or patch Buckeye to MCSO. (Metro Phoenix municipalities have spend millions on their "interop" frequencies / patching systems).
After about five minutes after the bad guys ditched the car, MCSO was able to patch the Phoenix PD Firebirds into the MCSO system and once that happened, the bad guys didn't stand a chance. The MCSO guys (with the Goodyear K9 unit) helped by the Firebirds tracked them down one by one. One guy got chewed up by the dog (crying shame huh?). I then listened to Buckeye FD units respond to that call and get stuck in the desert (no place to turn around!).
Meanwhile, Buckeye PD units went back to the chase scene, and after some searching found the bales of pot the drug cartel guys apparently tossed out the window. Listening to the helicopters "chatter" on "company" (123.55) I learned that there was actually a second car which they were looking for that had gunmen in it to protect the shipment, though that car got away.
You can't get this kind of entertainment any other way.
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