Had a police officer tell me that scanners are illegal (Mississippi)

[JethrowJohnson]

A lot of officers do think "digital = encrypted" when in reality digital is just another type of system and digital encrypted is something different lol.
I have a state troop buddy who thought the above was true until I had to physically show him the difference(i used DSD to show our state system and then talkgroups inside of it that were encrypted since dsd shows you who is E and those not). He learned a lot that day

That's what my fire chief thought too.

 

[JethrowJohnson]

One thing I learned quickly early on is, never trust a cop when it comes to laws. They will read/bend/break them into it allowing them make an arrest.

Great example from your situation is, if it was truly illegal to even own a scanner in mississippi, he would have arrested you right there to make a number in his quota. He thought he could scare you and you telling others that it's illegal to not do it anymore.

Maybe this one has a bad attitude or is in that line of work for the wrong reasons, but most officers don't want to arrest people if they don't have to. Seeing a cop and automatically assuming he's out to get you any way he can would be like me looking at a guy with a tattoo and automatically assuming he's a violent felon and hates police officers. Not always true, especially since there are police officers who have tattoos.

 

[Giddyuptd]

You do know they can lie to you. Willing to bet he was trolling.

 

[JethrowJohnson]

You do know they can lie to you. Willing to bet he was trolling.

It's possible. But it's also possible he was just misinformed about his department's radio system.

 

[garys]

Taking legal advice from police officers is a lot like taking gun law advice from a gun shop counter clerk.

 

[JethrowJohnson]

Taking legal advice from police officers is a lot like taking gun law advice from a gun shop counter clerk.

True, they're not lawyers. Just like ALS Paramedics aren't surgeons.

 

[Cavscout]

In Florida, scanners are not illegal. However, only licensed HAM operators & Law Enforcement are allowed to use them in a moving vehicle.

" Certain states in the U.S., such as New York and Florida, prohibit the use of scanners in a vehicle unless the operator has a radio license issued from the FCC (Amateur Radio, etc.) or the operator's job requires the use of a scanner in a vehicle (e.g., police, fire, utilities). K ka3jjz "

CB License from 1975?

 

[KK4JUG]

You guys have the accents, not southerners.

Ya'll are right. Bless your little hearts.

 

[garys]

We're better than surgeons, we can read EKGs!

True, they're not lawyers. Just like ALS Paramedics aren't surgeons.

 

[soberone14]

I ran into a local police officer today and simply asked him a question about a 10 code i often hear my local police department use and he asked why did I want to know. I told him I had an SDS100 radio scanner and listen to them often. His reply was "don't get caught, police scanners are illegal in Mississippi". I wanted to laugh when he said that.

I don't know the law but im pretty sure radio scanners like the SDS100 are not illegal in the state of Mississippi.

Mobile Scanner & RADAR-Detector Laws In The US - US Scanner Laws check that link out has all scanner laws listed

 

[pb_lonny]

Yeah, this comes up every so often. I was told once that nobody could hear them, funny when I showed them that was not true....

 

[garys]

As tempting as it may be to show off your knowledge, often it's much better to let people keep on thinking that you don't know something that they may not want you to know.

Yeah, this comes up every so often. I was told once that nobody could hear them, funny when I showed them that was not true....

 

[bearcatrp]

Allot of states banned scanners in the vehicle after the newt gingrich incident many years ago. Best to check your state laws.

 

[scanfreqer]

Another incident where the Police just decide on the spot what's legal or not. If it was illegal, why didn't he confiscate your scanner. Is he not doing his job properly? Once again being in the Authoritarian position he makes his own laws and you have to challenge it???I hope he reads these posts and take a look at the real laws.

 

[KevinC]

I think the point was made and we’re getting off-topic now. Closing.