Lawrence County

[Bobwarn]

I just bought a PSR-500 and have programed it using RR and PSRedit. I'm pretty sure that The Bedford Police department has went to the SAFE-T, I have only received a few blips from their ID but no complete conversations. I've even went so far as to program a wildcard to check for a different ID they might be under with no luck. I did get some INDY traffic using the wildcard. I get the ISP just fine on SAFE-T off the same tower CC's. I live in town and I'm about 2 miles from the tower so signal shouldn't be a problem. Does someone know something I might be missing here that would be different from the ISP settings to receive the Bedford Police Department?

Thanks in advance!

 

[MTRFD]

BPD is using encryption almost all the time. Occasionally you will hear an officer in the clear, but not very often and I have never heard the dispatcher. The County is waiting on the install of the new console to start the migration to 800, but im sure it will be about the same as BPD. You will hear some of the Twp FD's and MPD occasionally but thats about it for agencies in the county.

 

[Bobwarn]

Thanks for your response!! Is there any software that will decode the encryption? I don't understand why local department would go to such lengths just to keep the public from hearing their traffic.

 

[Bobwarn]

MTRFD,

I 've been reading on the CC encryption, I know there is no decoding for now. I hope that BPD is not so stupid as to take away the help that the public eyes and ears give them, in a small town. I hope this is only temporary, but if it's not, the public needs to know how their Police department limit their ability to protect the public's safety. I'm sure that it also severly limits cross agency help too. I bought this scanner specifically to pick up the BPD, because I knew they went to the SAFE-T network, had I known what I know now I would not have wasted the money (it is a GREAT scanner though). From what I understand from my research, the Bedford Police Department is the only PD in the State of Indiana that has went to "full time" encryption. Not a smart move in my opinion. It really make me wonder what they have to hide.... There has to be a reason why a majority of the agencies on SAFE-T have NOT went to full time encryption, maybe 'we' the law abiding citizens that monitor do have value to them.

Is there a possiblity that you might be on a Fire Department (the FD in your name)? If so, might I ask what you and the Firefighters you work with opinions are of full time encryption?

Thanks again for your help!!!

 

[usswood]

From what I understand from my research, the Bedford Police Department is the only PD in the State of Indiana that has went to "full time" encryption. Not a smart move in my opinion.

Nope..Terre Haute City Police has been ENC for the last 2 years now...they use an EDACS system full digital...you would have to buy an EDACS HT just to hear there Dispatch...but all other LE talkgroups are ENC on that system.. Now Terre Haute is swimming in crime and the only way the public helps is THEY DON"T!!!!....even the Sheriff's Department and State Police usually don't know what they r doing most of the time!!!

 

[MTRFD]

Bobwarn,

Yes I am on Marion Twp. As a department we don't usually have a reason to monitor Bedfords traffic, but if the County PD decides to go full encryption, I can see where it can cause us some problems. I have been on several runs where some pretty important information is given to Police Officers responding to a situation, but the fire or ambulance crews never get the same traffic if they don’t monitor the PD channel. I understand this can be remedied with dispatcher training etc. But without the ability to monitor certain traffic at certain times could get personnel in a bad spot.

Don’t get me wrong it is 100 times better in the last few years than it ever was before. For our operations, and as far as we are concerned the County Dispatchers are doing an excellent job so this may not be a big issue in the future.

As a personal opinion, I am nosey and love to listen to the scanner and I hate the thought of not hearing the various departments. I can understand their position and why they want to do full encryption, but I think it kinda goes against the idea of the system,( being able to talk to various agencies and know what’s going on with your "neighbors" when they call for help.)
The system has talkgroups for interacting with various agencies but so far, with the lack of training on the system or understanding I guess, I hear a lot of radio calls to units go unanswered on MA channels and kinda doubt that in the heat of the moment they will remember to turn the encryption off or switch to the proper MA group. I may be wrong but I figure we will find out soon enough.