How does the news media know?

[6520tkp]

Lately in Ft. Worth there has been two police chases, one chase went from FT. Worth to Dallas and back and the news media was there filming the chase.

My question is, if Ft. Worth PD is encrypted how does the news media find about what is happening?


Thank You.

 

[KB7MIB]

Some possibilities:

1) An agency PIO called them.
2) Witness calls the station(s).
3) If a LEA helo is involved, and a news media helo hears them talking to ATC, or if there's a common air-air channel, such as 123.025, that the LEA helo uses to talk to the news media helo(s), they may hear about it there.
4) The news media may have been loaned LEA radios programmed with certain channels/talkgroups in receive-only mode, so they can hear major incidents.

John
Peoria, AZ

 

[bpckty1]

If there are cameras on the freeways, and certain highways, the tv stations can see the chase unfolding, then direct their reporters to the scene. Plus, they will be recording/showing the chase for "breaking news".

 

[KB7MIB]

I forgot about DOT cameras.

Are all LEA's in the D/FW region encrypted? If not, maybe the media heard another agency broadcast info about it. Is there a common channel the dispatchers use to broadcast incidents such as chases on, to dispatchers from adjacent agencies for situational awareness, or to request assistance? 155.370 maybe, or another Texas-wide or D/FW regional channel? Here in Phoenix, there's a PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) talkgroup on one of the regional trunked systems that every LE and FD dispatch center monitors. (A few other agencies monitor it as well.)

It's also possible that a reporter, a photojournalist (cameraman or woman) or a media helo witnessed the chase unfold in front of them.

John
Peoria, AZ

 

[mikebennett]

It is common for the DPS helicopter to be called in to assist with these chases. They likely are finding out about it when the helicopter checks in and advises they are going to assist.

The second most likely scenario is LE supplied equipment provided to the media.

 

[hiegtx]

I forgot about DOT cameras.

Are all LEA's in the D/FW region encrypted? If not, maybe the media heard another agency broadcast info about it. Is there a common channel the dispatchers use to broadcast incidents such as chases on, to dispatchers from adjacent agencies for situational awareness, or to request assistance? 155.370 maybe, or another Texas-wide or D/FW regional channel? Here in Phoenix, there's a PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) talkgroup on one of the regional trunked systems that every LE and FD dispatch center monitors. (A few other agencies monitor it as well.)

It's also possible that a reporter, a photojournalist (cameraman or woman) or a media helo witnessed the chase unfold in front of them.

John
Peoria, AZ

At this time, the majority of LEA's here are NOT encrypted. Fort Worth is, but as these chases moved eastward towards Dallas, the cities it passed through are in the clear. Tarrant County S.O. would likely have been advised of the chase as well, and that agency is also not encrypted. Dallas is in the clear as well, with a few exceptions (the usual tactical, investigative).

While there are regional inter-op talkgroups on the NCTCOG systems (Dallas P25 / NCTCOG Trunking System, Dallas, Texas - Scanner Frequencies and DFW Airport P25 / NCTCOG Trunking System, DFW Airport, Texas - Scanner Frequencies) I've never heard them used to coordinate a "chase" response. There's really very little traffic on these at this time. While FWRRS does have some interop TGID's, I don;t know if any of these were active. The two main layers used by Fort Worth & many of the other cities in Tarrant County are just out of my receiving range.

While the old "Statewide Intercity" (155.370) and "Statewide Mobile" (154.950) frequencies are still around, they are generally not used or monitored at this time. There are no other

 

[buddrousa]

In some areas the local Law will give News Stations a Department radio to keep up with events. This was done in Florida to keep the news happy when they encrypted their systems.

 

[NC5267]

Same here in San Antonio. When they went to a Provoice system with ESK the City/County programmed radios for all the media stations(at a cost) with dispatch channels only and can remotely disable them if it ever came to that.