Police Pursuit today, and the trouble with stringers

[d119]

So I was on my way in to work today, and there was a pursuit that went by on SB I5. Appears it originated in Anaheim, as there was an APD unit in the pursuit. Brought up the Tan, and monitored it. Fun stuff.

Then, about 10 minutes after the pursuit went by, here comes a white ford explorer with the number "61" in stick on numbers on the tailgate, and a passenger plate on the vehicle with its hazards on, going about 40 past stopped traffic down the center divide. I thought that was very strange, since there was no emergency lights on the vehicle, no "E" plate, nothing.

Then I finally come to the terminus of the pursuit, and guess who's there - Mr. White Explorer with his video camera and tripod out. I wasted no time in reporting the entire thing to the CHP. Who are you to elevate yourself to the status of holier than thou and go blowing down the center divide? Even the tow trucks responding to the scene for legitimate reasons have to request permission from CHP to use the center divide (or they are supposed to).

I know you guys monitor this forum, and I know some of you know exactly who this guy is. And I guess you need to be reminded that you are not above the law, and you don't have authority to violate traffic laws in the pursuit of news. You are everything that is wrong with the scanning hobby, and not everyone "doesn't care" or "doesn't notice".

I hope 92S5 read you the riot act. Too bad you couldn't get yourself a nice cite out of it since he didn't witness it himself.

Please check yourselves. You aren't first responders, cops, firefighters, park rangers, lifeguards or astronauts. You are contributors to Law Enforcement's problems. Sit in traffic with the rest of us, and gather the news LEGALLY.

 

[bravo14]

I'm sure they have to have a Badge ID what news station they are for and location and picture. I knew a few back in the 90's and 20xx's did stringers the PD/SO never had a problem with them hardly.

 

[d119]

And that authorizes them some sort of special privileges in the California Vehicle Code? I don't think so - that's not an excuse for anything.

 

[bravo14]

Some stringers have there own vehicle they drive news stations don't issue everyone one a vehicle. The stringers here in FL have a press id and a press tag on the front of the car.

 

[mmckenna]

Press Photographer license plates in California do not give them the right to break the law.
Press Passes are a courtesy, and again, carry no legal rights to break the law.

I suspect ol' 61 will run into issues if he/she keeps that up. It won't go unnoticed. Actions like that usually end up catching up with someone, unfortunately it sometimes drags down innocent bystanders with them. Issue is, they often are paid by the story, so there's a lot of pressure they put on themselves to pay the bills. I can understand needing the money, but not that way.

Good for you for calling them on it. Would be good to figure out who they sold the story to and talk to the station.

 

[w6hp]

Would be good to figure out who they sold the story to and talk to the station.

The station woudn't care. It's all about the ratings!

 

[d119]

Guy didn’t even have PP plates otherwise I could’ve given them even more info.

I suspect the guy probably got a lecture from the on scene sergeant, as I was very adamant with CHP Dispatch that the guy was right on scene with them, go contact him.

I know the S unit acknowledged the BOL, so I can only hope he got his hand slapped.

Some of these stringers drive CVPI’s with red/Amber deck lights. It’s ridiculous. Go be a cop/firefighter/park ranger/lifeguard/astronaut.

 

[KK4JUG]

It's been like that for years and it's not just California. In many cases, LEOs like the publicity for a job well-done.

Police have been affording a few privileges to the media for years and it's frequently a "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" type of relationship.

Before I was a LEO, I worked TV news locally (early 70s). My first job as a LEO was Public Information Officer so I worked with the media on a daily basis.

 

[d119]

This is the CHP we are talking about here. Very little leniency. Ever.

 

[KK4JUG]

This is the CHP we are talking about here. Very little leniency. Ever.

Maybe, but don't count on it. They want all the good publicity they can get.

 

[mmckenna]

The station woudn't care. It's all about the ratings!

They would if it made them look bad. Ratings are a big deal. Last thing they'd need would be a competing station picking up on the whacker/stringer story. A well placed social media campaign would work, too.

 

[w6hp]

They would if it made them look bad. Ratings are a big deal. Last thing they'd need would be a competing station picking up on the whacker/stringer story. A well placed social media campaign would work, too.

I'm in total agreement with you on that. In the major market areas though, the chances are they are selling their feed to multiple networks, all at the same time. Watch the local LA (or any major market) news and you see the same footage from the stringers on ABC, NBC, CBS, etc., for newsworthy incidents unless the network got one of their own crews there in a timely manner.

It must pay well today. Years ago you were lucky to get a newspaper reporter with a still camera and notepad to show up at an accident or major incident even if you put out a Code 20. Anything after 0300 hours, forget it. No one was coming.

 

[allend]

This is the big reason for the push for Encryption due to these media people and stringers ripping down the roads and running on the emergency lanes to get to the scene. This is a prime example of just one of reasons of many why so much encryption is starting to be really pushed in the LA market region including the surrounding other counties. I know we can't stop it but down the road the problem with be resolved at the expense of this hobby going under. Its very unfortunate that these stringers have no regards to driving laws but Law Enforcement knows about these turds doing this and I can pretty much guarantee this is a contributing factors in a lot of decision making for their radio upgrades coming down the pipe. SAD but this is our new world.... Bummer to keep hearing this kind of non sense happening.

 

[KK4JUG]

I'm in total agreement with you on that. In the major market areas though, the chances are they are selling their feed to multiple networks, all at the same time. Watch the local LA (or any major market) news and you see the same footage from the stringers on ABC, NBC, CBS, etc., for newsworthy incidents unless the network got one of their own crews there in a timely manner.

It must pay well today. Years ago you were lucky to get a newspaper reporter with a still camera and notepad to show up at an accident or major incident even if you put out a Code 20. Anything after 0300 hours, forget it. No one was coming.

You're right...except that it doesn't always have to be newsworthy. If it shows action, there's a good chance it'll make it on their air. TV is a visual medium and has a voracious appetite. In smaller markets, video will get you near the top of the show. regardless of the importance.

Let's say there's a multiple-fatality car crash. If the TV station has video of some of the action, it will get a couple or three minutes of air time and will be at or near the top of the show. If no video, it's worth a minute or so and certainly won't be the lead story. (The same is true of most newspapers. If they have a picture, it'll probably be on the front page. If not, it's buried on page 6.)

People want to see action (and even a little blood).

 

[KK4JUG]

This is the big reason for the push for Encryption due to these media people and stringers ripping down the roads and running on the emergency lanes to get to the scene. This is a prime example of just one of reasons of many why so much encryption is starting to be really pushed in the LA market region including the surrounding other counties. I know we can't stop it but down the road the problem with be resolved at the expense of this hobby going under. Its very unfortunate that these stringers have no regards to driving laws but Law Enforcement knows about these turds doing this and I can pretty much guarantee this is a contributing factors in a lot of decision making for their radio upgrades coming down the pipe. SAD but this is our new world.... Bummer to keep hearing this kind of non sense happening.

It may get passing consideration but it's not "the big reason for the push for encryption."

 

[ipfd320]

It may get passing consideration but it's not "the big reason for the push for encryption."

Please Enlighten Us then why the Push for Strapping is Being Done since You Say its Not the Big Reason

All this Stuff from Big Radio Says its the Public Causing the Problems as per the Article in Mission Critical / Sherriffs & LEO,s Across the Country Stating & Using this Excuse about the Publics Involvement--> Like Others on Here Said This Person and Other Chasers are Why we have these Problems and Strapping in Being Enforced

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

So I was on my way in to work today, and there was a pursuit that went by on SB I5. Appears it originated in Anaheim, as there was an APD unit in the pursuit. Brought up the Tan, and monitored it. Fun stuff.

Then, about 10 minutes after the pursuit went by, here comes a white ford explorer with the number "61" in stick on numbers on the tailgate, and a passenger plate on the vehicle with its hazards on, going about 40 past stopped traffic down the center divide. I thought that was very strange, since there was no emergency lights on the vehicle, no "E" plate, nothing.

(snip) .

Somehow I could not get past the 2nd paragraph without thinking of this;

O.J. Simpson and the Sad Last Years of the Ford Bronco

 

[KK4JUG]

Please Enlighten Us then why the Push for Strapping is Being Done since You Say its Not the Big Reason

All this Stuff from Big Radio Says its the Public Causing the Problems as per the Article in Mission Critical / Sherriffs & LEO,s Across the Country Stating & Using this Excuse about the Publics Involvement--> Like Others on Here Said This Person and Other Chasers are Why we have these Problems and Strapping in Being Enforced

I don't know the context of the article that was pulled from or whether it was informative or an opinion article but I think the operative phrase there might be "other chasers." If the general public are the "chasers" then something should be done. You can't deny the media some sort of access to the scenes. Like it or not, it's a necessary evil guaranteed by the Constitution. If the media started mentioning that they were blocked from police scenes, someone might begin to realize the government is trying to hide something.

 

[mmckenna]

Please Enlighten Us then why the Push for Strapping is Being Done since You Say its Not the Big Reason

All this Stuff from Big Radio Says its the Public Causing the Problems as per the Article in Mission Critical / Sherriffs & LEO,s Across the Country Stating & Using this Excuse about the Publics Involvement--> Like Others on Here Said This Person and Other Chasers are Why we have these Problems and Strapping in Being Enforced

I can tell you from sitting in APCO presentations on encryption...
Social Media, News Media, Stringers, Lookee-loos, privacy, officer safety.
The exact example that was given was for a city that had a school shooting. The issue was that someone listening to a scanner posted the whole thing on social media. Within minutes scared parents were flooding the scene. Officers trying to secure the situation now had a few hundred extra people to worry about. Instead of being able to focus on the shooter and the injured, they had to pull resources to keep parents from flooding the school. I'm a parent, I can understand that, but the officers need to control the scene.

Guys in stringer news vehicles driving down the center divide when traffic is stopped is dangerous. Could have easily hit a car, hit someone standing outside their car, hit a first responder. Dumb-A$$ should be cited. I can understand trying to make a living, but there's a limit on how much stupidity they should be allowed to get away with before the big slap-down.

 

[allend]

When agencies make this decisions based on these facts below they sign the bill of goods and invoice and its a done deal. I think it sucks for us good old people that stay home and not cause a scene. Being the responsible listener is just not a justification anymore to agencies. Scanner listeners are not even part of the equation in any decision making. Scanner listener fall on the pecking order where whale poop lies. That's at the bottom of the ocean floor where the bottom bottom lies. Not our ground floor. Below that, the ocean floor.

Social Media, News Media, Stringers, Lookee-loos, privacy, officer safety.