Monterey Co., CA - Changes in store for police scanners across Monterey County

[ScannerDude244]

If you've got a police scanner and enjoy listening to cops converse, consider finding another hobby.

Hearing scanner traffic in Monterey County will soon get trickier — if not impossible.

Changes in store for police scanners across Monterey County | The Salinas Californian | thecalifornian.com

This makes me mad!

 

[icis_monitor]

I hate to say it, but at least they aren't going encrypted. That would probably make you more mad.

As it is, anyone who is getting mad and looking for a new hobby becuase agencies are obeying a Federal mandate to narrowband should probably have found a new hobby - like yelling at the rain - a long time ago.

 

[ScannerDude244]

I hate to say it, but at least they aren't going encrypted. That would probably make you more mad.

As it is, anyone who is getting mad and looking for a new hobby becuase agencies are obeying a Federal mandate to narrowband should probably have found a new hobby - like yelling at the rain - a long time ago.

I don't think you read it "Moreover, McSorley said, the county Chief Law Enforcement Association previously agreed that the new system be encrypted, meaning limited to just law enforcement."

 

[icis_monitor]

I don't think you read it "Moreover, McSorley said, the county Chief Law Enforcement Association previously agreed that the new system be encrypted, meaning limited to just law enforcement."

I sit corrected.

and is it some kind of coincidence that the new I.T. Director in charge of the new radio system came from Pasadena a few months ago?

Monterey County Weekly by Wehaa

 

[brownlab]

Well my first impression is that both the public official and reporter writing this "story" were certainly short on the details as in what kind of system and what a system would ultimately cost (and we are talking about the taxpayer footing the bill here since much public grants to do this kind of thing have run dry). Is this doable, sure but this is not a case of simply outfitting emergency vehicles with new radios. It will be an expensive proposition complicated by the needs of multi jurisdictions. Again, the question the reporter missed was how much is all this going to cost and who is going to pay for it. I understand the Monterey is a wealthy area but this is still a state where many countries and cities have been forced to lay off police officers and firefighters. Remember you have a voice and have every right to make that voice heard so call or write your local representatives to inquire who is planning to pay for the upgrade and why is encryption needed. The way to prevent encryption of public safety systems is the question the wisdom of them before installation, not after the fact. (I will get off my soapbox now)

 

[ScannerDude244]

Well my first impression is that both the public official and reporter writing this "story" were certainly short on the details as in what kind of system and what a system would ultimately cost (and we are talking about the taxpayer footing the bill here since much public grants to do this kind of thing have run dry). Is this doable, sure but this is not a case of simply outfitting emergency vehicles with new radios. It will be an expensive proposition complicated by the needs of multi jurisdictions. Again, the question the reporter missed was how much is all this going to cost and who is going to pay for it. I understand the Monterey is a wealthy area but this is still a state where many countries and cities have been forced to lay off police officers and firefighters. Remember you have a voice and have every right to make that voice heard so call or write your local representatives to inquire who is planning to pay for the upgrade and why is encryption needed. The way to prevent encryption of public safety systems is the question the wisdom of them before installation, not after the fact. (I will get off my soapbox now)

The system will consist of a P25IP trunked VHF network with a conventional analog system overlay. In addition, Harris also will deploy a P25IP trunked 700 MHz sub-system

Harris Corporation Awarded a $15 Million Contract to Modernize Regional Public Safety Communications System in Monterey County, California

One of the PD's have been lobbying to get encryption for years

 

[karldotcom]

Didn't Salinas defund their entire gang program last year?

The Monterey Carmel area has a lot of $$$....but there are also a lot of empty houses there.

As for the CIO comment, if you look up went down in Philly, she awarded $500k in no-bid business to a firm that employed her next,....doesn't exactly pass the smell test.

 

[ScannerDude244]

Didn't Salinas defund their entire gang program last year?

The Monterey Carmel area has a lot of $$$....but there are also a lot of empty houses there.

As for the CIO comment, if you look up went down in Philly, she awarded $500k in no-bid business to a firm that employed her next,....doesn't exactly pass the smell test.

They laid off 10 cops last year, but still have the gang program aswell as the county gang task force
And you would think Monterey, Carmel and PG have a lot of money but every city in Monterey county is in debt alot of fire departments have been merging here Carmel valley was so in debt they had to sell fire apparatus and lay off fire fighters till they merg. Soledad had to go with Cal fire to keep running were they would have laid off everyone.

 

[zerg901]

Monterey County, California (CA) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

They have radios all over the place - low band (CHP), highband (local fire, police, Sheriff, CallFire, USFS), UHF (police and EMS), 800 (local prison). Maybe the Feds at 400 Mhz also. Will adding trunking, 700 Mhz, and encryption make things better?

 

[ScannerDude244]

Monterey County, California (CA) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

They have radios all over the place - low band (CHP), highband (local fire, police, Sheriff, CallFire, USFS), UHF (police and EMS), 800 (local prison). Maybe the Feds at 400 Mhz also. Will adding trunking, 700 Mhz, and encryption make things better?

It's going to be P25 trunked VHF network with a conventional analog system overlay and chp is in the process of installing vhf,uhf and 700/800 mhz in their cars

encryption is encryption nothing I can do about it now I hope the media speaks up against it, but I feel it's just going to be another Pasadena

 

[com501]

Federal Police and Fire will remain VHF on their bases, but they will have interop capability with the new county system.

AES256 encryption will be the standard, with Harris providing the infrastructure. Some departments have given up their licenses to the county, some have not.

This promises to be a cluster, as the terrain is going to leave some huge coverage holes along the coast unless they significantly increase their sites, as the new system won't have the high ERPs of the old analog system.

Might as well take up stamp collecting, unless you have a radio on the system.

 

[com501]

Apparently, interoperablility means everyone gets to buy a radio for everybody else's system....

 

[KJ6HCB]

Its time for the locals to start organizing and raising awareness of some of the fails of this system of board of supervisors meetings, etc.

 

[com501]

Won't do a bit of good. The 'experts' have declared this to be the end-all, be-all.

 

[ScannerDude244]

This promises to be a cluster, as the terrain is going to leave some huge coverage holes along the coast unless they significantly increase their sites, as the new system won't have the high ERPs of the old analog system.

Might as well take up stamp collecting, unless you have a radio on the system.

From the last update on the system they are using the same sites from the old system just upgrading the towers on some sites making them taller. yeah I just wanna hear how good that p25 is going to do in South Monterey county/Big sur area.

Apparently, interoperablility means everyone gets to buy a radio for everybody else's system....

Monterey airport op-out of the system it was costing them to much and dispatching. Airport fire is dispatch by cal fire now and PD is looking to find someone else for dispatching

 

[freqhopping]

$15 million is a bargain compared to the $36.7 million Motorola billed my county for a new system. My county is 1/6th the size and a third less populated.

 

[car5le]

The last price I saw recently for Monterey's new system was $29 million, and that is what I have seen for some time. I'm no sure where the $15 million came from. My understanding is that most of it is grant funded.

 

[troymail]

When I see these small $$$ amounts for radio systems, it usually means to mean that those holding the $$$ decided to not spend the money for the "complete" system..... and then later wonder why things don't work.

 

[ScannerDude244]

The last price I saw recently for Monterey's new system was $29 million, and that is what I have seen for some time. I'm no sure where the $15 million came from. My understanding is that most of it is grant funded.

It was $24mill back in 2006 Hairris gave them a15mill estimate with a 4mill discount. I bet their will be alot more fee's and others that bring the price back up!

 

[com501]

'Grant funded' just means that EVERYONE pays for it, since the 'grants' come from the taxpayer, everywhere.

Ain't socialism wonderful?