MD State Police

[K4APR]

I live in Virginia, on the Eastern Shore, but I travel into MD quite a bit. During this snow storm, I realized I never put MD state police in, but when I went to the database, I could'nt find it. Am I blind, stupid or both?

I was expecting to see somthing like we have for the VA database, a direct link to the state police (old analog) and STARS (statewide digital).

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[K4APR]

NEVERMIND! I found it under the "Department of State Police". Sorry for the stupid question!

 

[ka3jjz]

Not stupid - why the heck they have such a klunky name is beyond me.

Keep in mind that most all the 39 mhz freqs are simplex - you are going to need a decent mobile antenna to hear 'em. The duckie simply won't cut it 73 Mike

 

[K4APR]

Not stupid - why the heck they have such a klunky name is beyond me.

Keep in mind that most all the 39 mhz freqs are simplex - you are going to need a decent mobile antenna to hear 'em. The duckie simply won't cut it 73 Mike

Hi Mike, thanks for sharing my sentiment

Actually, I am only worried about putting them into my mobile scanner. I currently have a Motorola 800 antenna on my car, but I might switch over to the dual-band whip I have, if I end up listening to MDSP more often. Somewhere around, left over from my Motorola RSS days, I have a low band spectrum whip/coli that I could put on, if I really want to get serious

 

[screenersam]

u probly already know...39.78 is Princess Anne barracks, 39.64 is Salisbury barracks, 39.60 is Berlin. these would by yr main ones.

 

[policefreak]

So question. Is it the Maryland State police that covers the interstates in MD or is it the Maryland Transit Authority? Specifically I'd be curious about I-95 from the Delaware State line til past Baltimore. And who covers the interstates inside the city of Baltimore?

 

[JoeyC]

MD State Police handles the interstates.
Never heard of the Md Transit Authority. There is a MD Transit Administration, and they are not law enforcement, but trains and buses.
Then there is the MD Transportation Authority that manages Toll booths.
The MD Transportation Authority police does LE in tunnels, bridges and the Port of Baltimore.

 

[fourwd1]

MD State Police handles the interstates.
Never heard of the Md Transit Authority. There is a MD Transit Administration, and they are not law enforcement, but trains and buses.

The MTA (above) does have it's own police force, as does the MdTA (below).
The MdTA PD also patrols the toll sections of interstates, and BWI.

Then there is the MD Transportation Authority that manages Toll booths.
The MD Transportation Authority police does LE in tunnels, bridges and the Port of Baltimore.

 

[maus92]

The Maryland State Police also patrols state highways, and provides local law enforcement in counties that do not have county police forces, or patrolling county sheriffs.

 

[Bote]

Hi Mike, thanks for sharing my sentiment

Actually, I am only worried about putting them into my mobile scanner. I currently have a Motorola 800 antenna on my car, but I might switch over to the dual-band whip I have, if I end up listening to MDSP more often. Somewhere around, left over from my Motorola RSS days, I have a low band spectrum whip/coli that I could put on, if I really want to get serious

Low band frequencies seem to be magnets for computer-generated noise. So, if you're running a laptop or your automobile's engine computer, headlight controller, dashboard controller, etc. throws out junk you might have some trouble hearing. Electronic gasoline pumps are the worst.

I think at long last MSP finally got smart and started running PL on their channels. I can't imagine what it was like for them when they were carrier squelch. Talk about skipland, skipland, skipland!

You ought to give it a try. MSP doesn't talk too much, unlike VSP who never seem to shutup sometimes.

Also, here are some tac channels that they use sometimes that could yield some interesting monitoring: 39.24, 39.62, 39.66 and 39.92MHz

In some locales they are simply glomming off the county's trunked system either patched from low band or just outright getting trunked radios and operating directly on the trunked system. They do this in Frederick, at least.

 

[kg4rgn]

I have a Kenwood 480SAT in the truck with a radio shack CB antenna on the bumper. I have most of the MD State fred program in scan and also entered the tones. I usually can pick up two counties away on the low band.

The key is to program the pl tones, this will help out with interferences.

Hope this helps.

 

[ocguard]

So question. Is it the Maryland State police that covers the interstates in MD or is it the Maryland Transit Authority? Specifically I'd be curious about I-95 from the Delaware State line til past Baltimore. And who covers the interstates inside the city of Baltimore?

Your question brings up a bit of interesting trivia. The stretch of I-95 from the DE line to the I-95/I-895 split north and east of Baltimore is known as the JFK Highway and is interestingly enough considered a toll road (even though you only pay once just north of the Susquehanna River bridge). It is technically the jurisdiction of the MD Transportation Authority Police (aka MdTA Police, or just Toll Police), but they contract it's coverage to the Maryland State Police, "Highway" barrack. You will often see MdTA PD, however, doing enforcement along the stretch. All of I-895 is covered by MdTA PD (toll police), as well as most of the portion of I-95 that parallels I-895, and I-395, which connects I-95 to downtown Baltimore. I-83 (which was initially suppose to connect I-95 to the north side of the Baltimore Beltway, but ends in downtown Baltimore, is patrolled by the Baltimore City PD in Baltimore City, and MSP Golden Ring north of the Baltimore City line.

The Maryland Transit Administration PD (MTA PD) is responsible for law enforcement at and MTA facility and on and MTA transportation vehicle, as well as along the "Light Rail" right-of-way.

 

[policefreak]

Wow that sounds very confusing. Thanks.

 

[OldsDoug]

Wow that sounds very confusing. Thanks.

Welcome to Maryland!

 

[Kumba]

Wow that sounds very confusing. Thanks.

I'll add some more fuel to the fire: DNR Police, also known as NRP, are the only other MD police force with state-wide jurisdiction, meaning they can, if they really had to, pick you off on a county road or state highway. Largely, though, they patrol the state parks and MD's many rivers and the bay, doing drunk boating enforcement, making sure people obey the oyster catch limits, etc. And in my county, occasionally helping out the local sheriffs office by dragging dead deer off the roadway.

Pics of several various MD, VA, & DC police vehicles, including MdTA are below. All captured pretty much while driving around:
http://picasaweb.google.com/kumba12345/PoliceCarsUploaded?authkey=Gv1sRgCMKSjf2Zrq2ErgE#

 

[lynnk]

Speaking of MSP .... does MSP in Allegany and Garrett counties run strickly low band or do they use the counties trunk systems? I hardly ever hear anything from them when passing through that area but the radio picks up the low band MSP at Hagerstown and Frederick with no problem.

 

[MdListener]

Yes, MSP in the three westernmost counties, Washington, Allegany, & Garrett, is strickly lowband for now. The Hagerstown Barrack will be operating on the new Wash Co UHF trunked system in the next few months, but will be sharing the main talkgroup with the sheriff's department. That talkgroup will be permanently patched into MSP lowband (39.340), which will become a very active freq to listen to once the patch is set up.

One reason you may not hear much MSP in Allegany and Garrett is there is less police activity there (especially Garrett), and another is the problems the topography causes on lowband signal propagation.

 

[screenersam]

I'll add some more fuel to the fire: DNR Police, also known as NRP, are the only other MD police force with state-wide jurisdiction, meaning they can, if they really had to, pick you off on a county road or state highway. Largely, though, they patrol the state parks and MD's many rivers and the bay, doing drunk boating enforcement, making sure people obey the oyster catch limits, etc. And in my county, occasionally helping out the local sheriffs office by dragging dead deer off the roadway.

Pics of several various MD, VA, & DC police vehicles, including MdTA are below. All captured pretty much while driving around:
Picasa Web Albums - Joshua - Police Cars -...

we had a softball tournament a few years ago and the MSP guys were razzing the NRP calling them 'Not Real Police', re their arrest powers.
both groups are heroes imho.

 

[Kumba]

One reason you may not hear much MSP in Allegany and Garrett is there is less police activity there (especially Garrett), and another is the problems the topography causes on lowband signal propagation.

My brother might beg to differ on that. While attending WVU, he discovered real quick that he had to check his speed entering Garret county. MSP liked to park a few guys at the bottom of some hill on the interstate, and pick people off, because their cruiser colors blended in so well with the terrain.

both groups are heroes imho.

Seconded!

 

[wmbio]

Cumberland is on 39.240, Oakland is on 39.080, No trunked traffic out here yet. Radio traffic is light as suggested above. Tons of Nextel and cell traffic between officers and the barracks these days, I guess it is easier for them? Westbound, I-68 at Rocky Gap ( before exit 50 ) coming down Martins Mt. is a favorite spot in Allegany county to loose a few $$$ for a heavy right foot.

Wmbio