Last of the scanners: Are police security measures and new technologies killing an American obsession?

[WRCM]

Not really, but you feel to think whatever you want.

Likewise.
Happy new year.

 

[12dbsinad]

The writing is on the wall. There is a reason why LMR companies are investing in LTE, and it isn't because they want to compete with Apple or Samsung.

LTE isn't even anywhere close to replacing LMR. This is well known. There still isn't even a direct mode, and there is no pathway yet to this. No agency in their right mind is going to scrap their LMR system to rely on LTE. Supplement it, yes, but only in metro area's for now, not rural America.

The scanner guys here need to worry about digital LMR and encryption, that'll kill the hobby LONG before LTE.

 

[zz0468]

No agency in their right mind...

I think you just pinpointed part of the problem.

 

[Marky102770]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...1c95106d96a_story.html?utm_term=.2b27feadfc94

it WI

https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...1c95106d96a_story.html?utm_term=.2b27feadfc94

wont happen... I know for a fact it wont.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...1c95106d96a_story.html?utm_term=.2b27feadfc94

it'll never happen... I know for a fact it wont. maybe certain counties in certain states, but never nation wide.

I'm not. I'm telling it like it is.

The tax payers have a right to see where their money goes, but there isn't an inherent right to eavesdrop on radio communication that isn't intended for the public. The argument that it's necessary to have oversight of the police is false. The mechanism for taxpayer oversight is via the grand jury. That's what it's for. That's what they do.

The relatively short time in American history that hobbyists have had access to scanners had not changed the law, the Constitution, or any charters that form any local governments.

Well if it does happen, my guess would be because something bad is going to happing and don't want the public to panic. I mean their are roadways under the US now already from the east to the west coast.... think about it

 

[zz0468]

Well if it does happen, my guess would be because something bad is going to happing and don't want the public to panic. I mean their are roadways under the US now already from the east to the west coast.... think about it

Scanner listeners sure seem to be a particularly paranoid lot.

 

[Marky102770]

Well if it does happen, it will be because something bad is gonna happen and the government don't want to start a panic. there are roads already built under the US from East to the west, a trucker already confirmed it when he was delivering something. he stated it was fully stocked. not to mention the military has been moving a lot of stuff around. so if everything goes encrypted, its obvious what's going on.

 

[JamesPrine]

When I was a "defective", we went to using cellphones for our comms many years ago. Yes, standard cell phones...nothing fancy. They were much easie to lug around than the issue police radios, and didn't automatically tag us as cops to people around us. But we were working highly specialized, sensitive tasks, and didn't need to bother with busy radio traffic from other units, unless we were on the street and needed to steer clear of hot calls. Things have certainly changed the past few years...oh, and yes, the cell phones offered *many* advantages over marine radio portables and silly 'coded' communications.

 

[Marky102770]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...1c95106d96a_story.html?utm_term=.2b27feadfc94

 

[Hans13]

Well if it does happen, it will be because something bad is gonna happen and the government don't want to start a panic.

If such a situation ever occurs, the reason government doesn't want the public to panic is so that they can get their behinds to safe places and leave everyone else swinging in the wind. "Continuity of Government" is a euphamism for "screw you."

 

[Hans13]

Scanner listeners sure seem to be a particularly paranoid lot.

We're not paranoid if they really are out to get us.

 

[chill30240]

When I was a "defective", we went to using cellphones for our comms many years ago. Yes, standard cell phones...nothing fancy. They were much easier to lug around than the issue police radios, and didn't automatically tag us as cops to people around us. But we were working highly specialized, sensitive tasks, and didn't need to bother with busy radio traffic from other units, unless we were on the street and needed to steer clear of hot calls. Things have certainly changed the past few years...oh, and yes, the cell phones offered *many* advantages over marine radio portables and silly 'coded' communications.

Where I live the local police and sheriff have everything is in the clear and for those moments when the public doesn't need to hear they use cell phones. Either officially issued or the city I know, unsure about the county have radios that can be phone patched. Its not unusual to hear 911 call a unit and have them give them a "public service". Every ones is happy here. The public is happy and local LE. They even did away with codes with the exception of maybe 5 or 6 some time ago. Plain talk only.

 

[RichardKramer]

It's a shame that the PD and powers to be that decide to use encryption don't realize all the extra eyes & ears that they would have if most of their comms were in the clear. I don't have a problem with encryption when it comes to surveillance/hostage/warrant ops; but you are losing all the extra eyes & ears of not only hobbyists who want to assist; but ham radio operators; first responders; truck drivers, etc. So a few criminals/gangs are listening in; does it really give them an advantage? I really doubt it. All encryption is doing is giving the criminals an advantage because the public can't listen in to help out. I work in loss prevention near a strip mall; when I would hear a PD broadcast of a shoplifter(s) at a neighboring store; I could keep a lookout for them if they entered my store; now I don't have that advantage. There were broadcasts of several missing children over the past several years near our store properties; even though I was off duty; I left the other LP coworkers that were on duty to keep an eye out for them. When the local Turkey Hill store was held up when I was home, I would stand outside after hearing the broadcast to see if any suspicious perps would come down my street; the PD would drive by my house and I would let them know that no one came down my way so they could concentrate their search at the other side of town. My store is located in eyeview of several banks; if they were held up and the comms were in the clear, I could keep an eye out for anything I could help out with; if I was off duty I could alert the other LP coworkers to keep an eye out. There are many more instances I could give; but it's just crazy to think LE is gaining an advantage by using encryption using the excuse that the criminals/gangs can listen in when there are more law abiding citizens that listen in than there are criminals. I hope a member of LE doesn't get seriously hurt or killed if they get into a struggle with a perp and their multi-thousand $$ handheld doesn't get through to the repeater, but a scanner listener could hear them calling for help on an input freq or talkgroup and make a call to dispatch to get help.

 

[KK4JUG]

So, do you think government-produced publications should have copyright protection?

Well, you get the non sequitur award of the year.

 

[darkness975]

I am of this newer generation of millenials. I don't have cable TV on the internet, I refuse to watch the news or even read it most of the time, I just skim headlines once every couple of weeks. I do not want to get my information from the horribly biased news media where all they do is just go back and forth with their inaccurate fake news.

It is sad that many people my age do prefer to get their news from Facebook Twitter Instagram Snapchat and whatever other stupid social media apps are out they were people are sticking their faces front of virtual filters and acting like there's some kind of revolutionary individuals.

I really do hope this hobby doesn't die.

 

[goodmore]

I am of this newer generation of millenials. I don't have cable TV on the internet, I refuse to watch the news or even read it most of the time, I just skim headlines once every couple of weeks. I do not want to get my information from the horribly biased news media where all they do is just go back and forth with their inaccurate fake news.

It is sad that many people my age do prefer to get their news from Facebook Twitter Instagram Snapchat and whatever other stupid social media apps are out they were people are sticking their faces front of virtual filters and acting like there's some kind of revolutionary individuals.

I really do hope this hobby doesn't die.

The free press is the key to a free country. Don't believe the word of a liar over them. Sure they can be very biased, but then you have a brain to sort it out.

 

[KK4JUG]

I have a Facebook page that I haven't visited in over 4 years. Actually, you can count the total number of times I've signed in on one hand. I can't get excited about people who determine their success in life by the number of fake "friends" they accumulate, most of which they've never seen or met. Actually, they're not even acquaintances, let alone friends. I don't care what they had for dessert at Olive Garden and I don't care that they're visiting their mom over the weekend. I guess it's a matter of principle but I even try to avoid businesses who tell me to "like" them during their commercials.

I understand Facebook has legitimate purposes for some, but not for me.

I do watch TV news but I take most of it with a grain of salt. Yes, there is frequently a bias in their reporting. The same is true with news feeds on the Internet. I prefer NPR news.

 

[K7MFC]

lol this thread is now officially off the rails

 

[darkness975]

The free press is the key to a free country. Don't believe the word of a liar over them. Sure they can be very biased, but then you have a brain to sort it out.

I know that, my statements were in regards to the concept in general.

To bring this thread back around to the original topic, it is true that they use cell phones for really sensitive transference of information anyway so hopefully this American Pastime as the original topic stated does not fade.

There are steps that can be taken to counter it like what Colorado is attempting to do.

 

[slicerwizard]

I hope a member of LE doesn't get seriously hurt or killed if they get into a struggle with a perp and their multi-thousand $$ handheld doesn't get through to the repeater, but a scanner listener could hear them calling for help on an input freq or talkgroup and make a call to dispatch to get help.

a) scanner listeners rarely monitor input frequencies or are close enough to pick up anything

b) a trunking radio will not TX voice if it can't hit the repeater, so monitoring the inputs will do no good

 

[radio3353]

lol this thread is now officially off the rails

Seriously. This is highly entertaining. Secret coast-to-coast roadways under the US. I know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy who knows this is true!! All kidding aside, I thank God I live in a country where people can talk like this in public with no ill effect.