Is there anything I CAN listen to?

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I recently moved to Anchorage from the lower 48. I have a BCD996P2. I've been looking through the ALMR system, as well as the old conventional stuff for the state. I'm afraid I already know the answer, but is there ANY fire/ems or law enforcement I can listen to that isn't encrypted? It seems that everything has a DE. Are there any I missed? Feeling kinda bummed as it seems I might not be doing much scanning here....
 

aps_ak

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Pickings are slim. Ive been monitoring for well over a decade here, and the degradation has been incredible.

For now, what's left in the open is:
Airport Police/Fire - 851.35000 or ALMR 49900
MatSu Fire/EMS Areawide - 154.295
Anchorage Medic to Hospital: ALMR 44030, partial encryption
JBER PD Dispatch - ALMR 18675
 

west-pac

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I recently moved to Anchorage from the lower 48. I have a BCD996P2. I've been looking through the ALMR system, as well as the old conventional stuff for the state. I'm afraid I already know the answer, but is there ANY fire/ems or law enforcement I can listen to that isn't encrypted? It seems that everything has a DE. Are there any I missed? Feeling kinda bummed as it seems I might not be doing much scanning here....

If it were me, I would still scan those TGs labeled as DE. You'll never know if they turn off the encryption, if you're not listening. Personally, I always run my scanners in ID SEARCH mode. In ID SEARCH mode you'll hear every TG that is transmitted from the site/tower you're listening to. Since you're in Anchorage, you'll likely find a lot of the surrounding communities TGs being transmitted on the Anchorage site when those communities radio users come to Anchorage.
 
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Good info, and good suggestions guys, thanks. Guess I'll see what I can find. Being new up here, I don't know much about the culture of law enforcement and EMS up here, but I'm pretty surprised things are so locked down. I just assumed everyone would still be on old conventional systems and wide open! Any idea why everything is encrypted? Is there history or something that led to that?
 

wbswetnam

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Good info, and good suggestions guys, thanks. Guess I'll see what I can find. Being new up here, I don't know much about the culture of law enforcement and EMS up here, but I'm pretty surprised things are so locked down. I just assumed everyone would still be on old conventional systems and wide open! Any idea why everything is encrypted? Is there history or something that led to that?
I don't live in AK, never even visited there, but my guess is that because of the distances and response times involved in arriving on scene, they decided to go ENC with everything. If the PD gets a report of a break-in at such-and-such location, and it will take an officer 40 minutes or more to arrive there, they'd rather not give the bad guys that lead time to get away. As far as why fire is ENC, IDK.
 

aps_ak

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Good info, and good suggestions guys, thanks. Guess I'll see what I can find. Being new up here, I don't know much about the culture of law enforcement and EMS up here, but I'm pretty surprised things are so locked down. I just assumed everyone would still be on old conventional systems and wide open! Any idea why everything is encrypted? Is there history or something that led to that?

Couple of things at play here. Troopers started going encrypted over ten years ago, and everyone else started to follow. Anchorage PD was in the clear once they moved to the 700mhz system in 2012, then shortly after encrypted the TAC and records channels. Then, in late 2013, they encrypted completely, but actually provided a feed via this site - which was delayed first by 5, then 10 minutes, and they could control/temporarily mute. Then, in 2016, a decision was made to take down the feed permanently, as well as encrypt the Anchorage/Girdwood/Chugiak fire along with everything, and the rest is how it is.

A major driving force behind this, whether people want to admit it or not, was the proliferation of social media sharing, like the facebook group called "Anchorage Scanner Joe", which started small, but eventually turned into a very large group who literally had people sitting around, listening to radio traffic and transcribing everything they heard into the group posts.

There was a separate incident in early 2013, where there was a weapons/bomb threat in an Anchorage school, a bunch of parents showed up after news picked up scanner traffic and reported on it before APD even could finish their response. At least that was one of the issues cited by APD for going encrypted originally.

From my own perspective - as a user of a lot of these encrypted channels, there has always been a big push in the State of Alaska for data privacy and protecting personally identifiable information, which has carried over into radio communications. This is the reason they used to encrypt fire - though right now, encrypted fire departments in Alaska are an exception - I'm only aware of Anchorage and Kodiak doing this.

It's lame having my scanner be silent in Anchorage a lot, but there is stuff to listen to - especially if you travel to other communities.
 

aps_ak

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I don't live in AK, never even visited there, but my guess is that because of the distances and response times involved in arriving on scene, they decided to go ENC with everything. If the PD gets a report of a break-in at such-and-such location, and it will take an officer 40 minutes or more to arrive there, they'd rather not give the bad guys that lead time to get away. As far as why fire is ENC, IDK.

I just posted a separate reply, but the long distances are really just an issue for AST - all local PDs are concentrated enough that a 40 minute response to a priority call is not a thing.
 

Omega-TI

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I've always wondered why in a supposedly free and open society, with radios paid for by the public, they get off encrypting in the first place. Shouldn't non-military government communications be free and open? It makes the paranoid types think they really are trying to hide things from the public.
 

belvdr

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I've always wondered why in a supposedly free and open society, with radios paid for by the public, they get off encrypting in the first place. Shouldn't non-military government communications be free and open? It makes the paranoid types think they really are trying to hide things from the public.
Your logic is slightly flawed. Military radios are paid for by the public too. ;)

I think you mean public safety and I don’t believe all public safety should be in the clear. There’s a fine line on what should be encrypted and I also believe some agencies crossed it, unfortunately.
 

Omega-TI

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Your logic is slightly flawed. Military radios are paid for by the public too. ;)

I think you mean public safety and I don’t believe all public safety should be in the clear. There’s a fine line on what should be encrypted and I also believe some agencies crossed it, unfortunately.

Yes, you are right. I did mean things like police and fire. They could easily switch to an encrypted frequency or use a cellphone when private information on people needs to be discussed or a major event in progress needs to be temporarily shaded to ensure public safety.
 

belvdr

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Yes, you are right. I did mean things like police and fire. They could easily switch to an encrypted frequency or use a cellphone when private information on people needs to be discussed or a major event in progress needs to be temporarily shaded to ensure public safety.
I agree with that approach too. There are certain things that shouldn't be transmitted unencrypted. I'm not sure why some entities choose to encrypt everything.
 

Omega-TI

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I agree with that approach too. There are certain things that shouldn't be transmitted unencrypted. I'm not sure why some entities choose to encrypt everything.
Encrypting everything can also be detrimental to public safety, what if a kid was abducted, when seconds matter, or an armed gunman is mowing people down in the streets? Keeping that all hidden, prevents the public from helping out in the case of an abduction... if they've seen the perp, or to avoid a location in an active shooter case.
 

belvdr

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Encrypting everything can also be detrimental to public safety, what if a kid was abducted, when seconds matter, or an armed gunman is mowing people down in the streets? Keeping that all hidden, prevents the public from helping out in the case of an abduction... if they've seen the perp, or to avoid a location in an active shooter case.
I doubt the majority of the public is listening to RF. They're most likely tuned into social media.
 

west-pac

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Yes, you are right. I did mean things like police and fire. They could easily switch to an encrypted frequency or use a cellphone when private information on people needs to be discussed or a major event in progress needs to be temporarily shaded to ensure public safety.

I'm guessing you've never been a public safety official that used a radio, or needed to communicate with anyone via radio? For pubic safety officials a radio is a tool, only one of the many tools they use to complete their tasks. Asking someone to change tools (use a cellphone instead of a radio) is like asking a roofer to use a hammer and nails instead of a pneumatic nail gun; or use a screwdriver instead of a drill/driver. It's not efficient, and could be dangerous. A LEO can hold someone at gun point, keep eye contact, and initiate and maintain a conversation on a radio, whereas if they had to use a cell phone they would need 2 hands and have to take their eyes off the suspect. It's not practical to use a cell phone in most cases.


Their loss.

This response shows your inability to see others point of view.
 

Omega-TI

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I'm guessing you've never been a public safety official that used a radio, or needed to communicate with anyone via radio? For pubic safety officials a radio is a tool, only one of the many tools they use to complete their tasks. Asking someone to change tools (use a cellphone instead of a radio) is like asking a roofer to use a hammer and nails instead of a pneumatic nail gun; or use a screwdriver instead of a drill/driver. It's not efficient, and could be dangerous. A LEO can hold someone at gun point, keep eye contact, and initiate and maintain a conversation on a radio, whereas if they had to use a cell phone they would need 2 hands and have to take their eyes off the suspect. It's not practical to use a cell phone in most cases.

This response shows your inability to see others point of view.

No, I've never used a radio as a "pubic" safety official, however I hear the dispatcher tell officers to use the "landline" all the time, so there ARE times where it's practical.

As for my inability to see another's viewpoint, I'll mark that up as your self-righteous opinion and end this discussion here.
 

Ensnared

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I've always wondered why in a supposedly free and open society, with radios paid for by the public, they get off encrypting in the first place. Shouldn't non-military government communications be free and open? It makes the paranoid types think they really are trying to hide things from the public.

Let me enlighten you on something. The "Unpatriotic Act" as well as "Homeland Insecurity" have changed the scanning industry.

https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/border-zone/

Also, if there is pervasive corruption in a particular agency, and encryption is present, there make be smoke to investigate. "Where there is smoke there is fire."

I know of two law enforcement agencies that were embarrassed after being setup by a former Narcotic officers turned civilian here in Texas. The two agencies: Williamson County and Odessa PD (Ector County).

These two agencies were videotaped in the act. You can refer to both of these by going to Barry Cooper, You Tube. The Texas Rangers don't play. Eventually, he moved to another country.

So, it is not paranoia if it is real. I would prefer to call it "hypervigilance." Just having a laugh.
 
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