MSWIN and Mississippi Highway Patrol

[ryano0872]

Hello, I listen to my local police here in Corinth, MS. Also the Mississippi Highway Patrol On the MSWIN. About 2 weeks ago the sound from MHP stopped coming through. It still shows up on my scanner when they talk but just can’t hear anything. Anybody know what’s going on? Thanks!

 

[kb5udf]

Is it possible they have gone encrypted, because that's what my uniden does for an encrypted call; display but no audio.

 

[slhbeard]

I still hear troop C, D , M, and on occasion K in the clear. I do know there was some tower problems. but I don't how widespread it was.

 

[MississippiPI]

Troop D out of Greenwood was first to encrypt, the others will follow soon. I did notice tho that the tag and owner info as well as DL info being dispatched on MHP Statewide....

Be Safe

 

[frenchfry]

Troop G started this week

 

[MississippiPI]

Yep, troop G (Meridian) is now also..


Be Safe

 

[Hammerguy69]

I still hear troop C, D , M, and on occasion K in the clear. I do know there was some tower problems. but I don't how widespread it was.

No tower problems just encryption.

 

[scanphreak]

I'm now hearing encryption radio traffic on District 8 Troop K talkgroup. Noticed it today but its a form of encryption that sounds like voice inversion so my 436HP is not muting the transmission.

 

[CL-1]

So, the MHP has been using unencrypted radios since their creation on April 1, 1938--suddenly, they are worried about the public listening!

Two reasons were given, officer safety and identity theft from Troopers running driver's license. On the first reason, I cannot find a single documented case of officer safety being compromised by someone listening to a scanner! (After almost 82 year on the radio we should find at least one case! How about the last seven years while on MSWIN?) On the second reason, I cannot find a single documented case of identity theft by scanner use.

The Trooper's vehicles are equipped with mobile data terminals so each Trooper can run a driver's license, license plates, submit reports and much more without ever keying their MSWIN radio.

They also said that they have nothing to hide, if so, why encrypt!

I do not believe these are valid reasons to spend over one-half million public dollars. Encryption deprives the public of the ability to listen to ordinary dispatch radio traffic of a public agency. Could this be an unethical expenditure?

Is there anyone else that wants to resist this move to encryption of the common dispatch channel by the MHP and possibly reverse the move?

I have some ideas but want to be effective in my actions and could use help/ideas.

FYI: I manage the Forrest and Lamar County, MS scanner feeds on Broadcastify.

WDAM TV News story: Cost of Silence: MHP adding encryption software for communications

Thanks for reading!

Reggie, CL-1
601-270-5783

 

[scanphreak]

Its actually creating an officer safety issue. Now you have MHP segregated from everyone else. Other local agencies relied on scanners to listen to MHP traffic. A deputy or police patrol down the road could hear and know when MHP made a stop or was calling for help or in a chase. Now other agencies won't be aware of it. Only if the mhp dispatcher calls another dispatcher to relay.

 

[buddrousa]

Or you could have a RX only SP Dispatch in Local County Dispatch Center.

 

[RadioJonD]

Its actually creating an officer safety issue. Now you have MHP segregated from everyone else. Other local agencies relied on scanners to listen to MHP traffic. A deputy or police patrol down the road could hear and know when MHP made a stop or was calling for help or in a chase. Now other agencies won't be aware of it. Only if the mhp dispatcher calls another dispatcher to relay.

The burden of all decisions like this always falls on the people staffing the consoles. Always.

They will be the first, and often the only, ones to realize the limits or fallacy of any hastily enacted policy.