Monitoring Rome

[sflmonitor]

I'm going on a cruise that will be making a stop near Rome, Italy. The RR database doesn't have information on law enforcement frequencies for the area. I've done some research and I've found conflicting information on the legality of monitoring the police in Italy. Some sources state that it is 100% illegal to monitor, while others say that monitoring is OK but it is illegal to disclose information about the transmission. Does anyone have a legitimate source of information to clear this up?

Also, after doing some additional research, I've found the following references to law enforcement/fire frequencies in Italy. Can anyone confirm and/or add further? Thanks.


46 - 47 Mhz Fire
71 - 75 MHz Fire
76 - 80 MHz Police
153 - 155 MHz Guadia di Finanza
425 - 427 MHz Police (Carabinieri?)
429 - 430 MHz Guadia di Finanza (old)
166.6, 167.45, 167.475, 167.5, 167.525 Municipal Police - Rome
445.8, 466.8 Municipal Police - Rome

 

[BC_Scan]

While in Italy last may, I brought my 396 with me and had a field day listening, dont forget there is a US consule in Rome I saw the staff in a quick pass but was not able to find if they had a trunk (P25) or simplex etc, I found P25 in Italy all belonging to US interests, I have access to an all Italian forum so I could verify freqs for you, Capisci Italiano ? send me a pm.

 

[sflmonitor]

While in Italy last may, I brought my 396 with me and had a field day listening, dont forget there is a US consule in Rome I saw the staff in a quick pass but was not able to find if they had a trunk (P25) or simplex etc, I found P25 in Italy all belonging to US interests, I have access to an all Italian forum so I could verify freqs for you, Capisci Italiano ? send me a pm.

just pm'd you.

 

[sflmonitor]

UPDATE: Here is what I was able to gather from my trip to Rome. It seems that the bands used by fire and law enforcement in Italy are VHF low, UHF and VHF.

The fire departments and the Polizia di Stato (Blue and white cars) seem to use VHF low band based on the antennas on vehicles and handhelds (possibly 73 - 76 MHz).

The municipal police seem to use UHF (possibly 420 - 440 MHz) while the Carabinieri and the Guardia di Finanza are on VHF (possibly 162 - 174 MHz), again based on the antennas on their cars and handhelds. The one exception that I found for municipal police was in the Province of Messina, where police use VHF (171.825 MHz).

Additionally, most taxi services in Rome use the VHF range.

 

[martufello]

sflmonitor, a bit in late anyhow here some answers / confirmations about your monitoring.
Scanners are legal but to monitor only amateurs band, if you "accidentaly" heard something outside ham bands, than you can't absolutely disclose.
You can't take note about those frequencies and neither save into scanner memories.
Band plan isn't secret, as you mention National Police and Firefighter are in low VHF between 73-79.
Local Police band allocation (so Polizia Municipale or Polizia Locale) can be high VHF (156-174) or UHF (460-470) with different standard: analog conventional, analog trunk (Rome has a Motorola trunk Type II), TETRA ( especially in North Italy), DMR.
Carabinieri are in UHF (around 400) and GDF VHF (around 150).
In some areas ( South Italy) all those national law enforcement services are migrated to Tetra.

 

[sflmonitor]

Thanks, martufello. I appreciate the information. I do have a question. What are those long, multiple tones that occur after the radio transmissions are over?

 

[martufello]

you means multiples tone like these ? VOLANTE 113: RAPINA IN UN SUPERMERCATO ARMATI DI PISTOLA - YouTube

If so (Polizia) is just the transmission of "radio ID".
Channel is open and tone aren't utilized to call a specific radio

In some cases instead (as Carabinieri ), headquarter is utilizing the analog tones (ZVEI if I remember well) to call just one or more specific radio.

Vigili del Fuoco sometimes are trasmitting a mix of digital (BIIS1200) /analog (CCIR) tones to transmit "radio ID"as well as GPS data position with NMEA standard

 

[sflmonitor]

Ok that explains a lot. Thanks.