Question on police scanner apps for cell phones

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Blackink

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Do these scanner apps pick up digital frequencies as well as analog?
I'm curious because I was just listening to a chase on the interstate here, speeds over 100mph chasing a black Audi. The frequency was analog-Vermont State Police in Williston.
After awhile, the police figured out that the suspect might be listening to the police due to some of the changes he made in his driving.
The guy had his girl call 911 dispatch during the chase and warned them that if he was stopped/caught, he would go 42.
 

522

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You are subject to whatever that particular feed provider is offering.
 

GTR8000

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Scanner apps don't "pick up" anything. They simply connect to a live stream and play the audio. What is heard depends entirely on what the feed provider is streaming. Analog, digital, static, silence, etc.

PS - No one except those in your neck of the woods knows what "would go 42" means, so please use Plain English if you expect people in the general scanning forum of a worldwide site to know what you're talking about.
 

ofd8001

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I'm not sure a person being pursued gets much value from listening to a scanner app. The noise of the siren might drown out the smart phone and there is a delay between the transmission and when it gets to the smart phone.
 

LD723

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That's the first time I've seen an assumption made by police that someone is listening to a scanner just because they are driving like they are in gta taking random turns lol I would do that anyways if I was getting chased but besides that I'm assuming 42 may mean suicide because if I am not wrong vsp uses 10 codes
 

Blackink

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The driver was doing things on the interstate that made the police very suspicious that they were being listened to.
Maybe you can find an archive where you can listen to it to determine for yourself. I think you'll here the police mention that he (the suspect) was listening to what the dispatch and police were saying.
Now there was 2 of us here listening to the conversation and as soon as we heard that, we both thought that was what we heard.
We could have heard wrong though but it sure sounded like after awhile during the chase that the police suspected the driver was listening in on their conversation, especially when the police mentioned deploying spike strips.....

Going 42 "in this neck of the woods" means to end ones life in reference to what the suspect was talking about.
In police terms, it means to end ones shift.
Whew!! Glad I clarified that 42 talk or I would have gotten more requests to "use plain English"!!
 
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MTS2000des

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Going 42 "in this neck of the woods" means to end ones life in reference to what the suspect was talking about.
In police terms, it means to end ones shift.
Whew!! Glad I clarified that 42 talk or I would have gotten more requests to "use plain English"!!
There is a reason why NIMS calls for plain language when working area command or any incident spanning multiple agencies.

In a forum, no one outside of Vermont has any friggin idea what nature codes are in use there anymore than if someone posted "subject is code 3" here in ATL is completely, utterly meaningless. "code 3" in some areas means "come in hot", as a status here, it means "no action taken".

Now do you see why PLAIN LANGUAGE has been mandated by the Feds? But it also makes better sense when posting something on a forum with a wide audience outside of one's neck of the woods...
 

n1das

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I lived next to VT while growing up in NH. "42" in VT is shorthand for 10-42 in VT's 10-codes.

I agree, plain language should be used in the forums to translate what's used locally and regionally.
 

Blackink

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There is a reason why NIMS calls for plain language when working area command or any incident spanning multiple agencies.

In a forum, no one outside of Vermont has any friggin idea what nature codes are in use there anymore than if someone posted "subject is code 3" here in ATL is completely, utterly meaningless. "code 3" in some areas means "come in hot", as a status here, it means "no action taken".

Now do you see why PLAIN LANGUAGE has been mandated by the Feds? But it also makes better sense when posting something on a forum with a wide audience outside of one's neck of the woods...
You feel better now?!?
 

fredva

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There are multiple lists of 10 codes where the 10-x number will mean different things to different departments. For example, 10-51 is a tow truck to one department, but will mean an officer enroute to a call in another. In that case, saying "51 means 10-51" doesn't really clarify anything. Which 10-51?

Regarding listening to a scanner app during the pursuit - the officers may have speculated that the driver was listening to them and taking actions based on what he was hearing. But that doesn't mean that was really happening. Things happen pretty quickly in a pursuit, and as somebody else pointed out, what the officers say on the radio isn't heard instantly on a cell phone app.
 

n1das

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There are multiple lists of 10 codes where the 10-x number will mean different things to different departments. For example, 10-51 is a tow truck to one department, but will mean an officer enroute to a call in another. In that case, saying "51 means 10-51" doesn't really clarify anything. Which 10-51?

What fredva said. There are more versions of the 10 codes than terms in it. Usage varies locally and regionally.

I don't focus on trying to remember 10 codes or keep lists of them. I learn them by listening to them as they are being used. Over time I learn them by paying attention to what's being said and the context as they are used. I don't bother to write them down.

I live in NH and NH uses 10-5 for acknowledgement instead of 10-4. In NH, 10-4 means repeat your message, i.e., "10-4 your last, you were broken." NH is the Land of 10-5 instead of 10-4. Nashua and Hudson NH are the two exceptions as they use the APCO 10 codes and other codes. I remember listening to Howard County MD police dispatch while in Columbia MD many years ago and recall hearing one officer asking another officer to take care of something for him. The second officer replied that he was currently en route to the station with 3 female 10-5s and was unable to handle the request. I LOL'd when I heard 10-5 because I was so used to hearing NH's 10 codes all the time.

Plain language is best.
 
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Falcon4

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You are subject to whatever that particular feed provider is offering.
Additionally, Side channels are not broadcasted...That is the perk of getting OP25 or unit that can fully decode whatever flavor your local LE uses. A alot of times the action can move to a side channel.
 

wowologist

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There is a reason why NIMS calls for plain language when working area command or any incident spanning multiple agencies.

In a forum, no one outside of Vermont has any friggin idea what nature codes are in use there anymore than if someone posted "subject is code 3" here in ATL is completely, utterly meaningless. "code 3" in some areas means "come in hot", as a status here, it means "no action taken".

Now do you see why PLAIN LANGUAGE has been mandated by the Feds? But it also makes better sense when posting something on a forum with a wide audience outside of one's neck of the woods...

So is code 4 in Atlanta...3 center mass and 1 in the head? Kinda the same here in SF Bayarea...no further assistance needed.
 

ecps92

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You are assuming the feed is not providing the "SIDE" channel

Additionally, Side channels are not broadcasted...That is the perk of getting OP25 or unit that can fully decode whatever flavor your local LE uses. A alot of times the action can move to a side channel.
 

KK4JUG

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Before I retired, I had a million (give or take a few) hours of NICS and NIMS training. "Plain talk" was preached all day long and it made sense but it fell on deaf ears. Locally, almost no 10-codes are used (except for the omnipresent 10-4). For call accounting purposes, 4-digit dispatch codes are used. For instance, 8100 is an auto accident, 8110 is auto accident with injuries, 8120 is hit & run, etc. There are other breakdowns to show in-progress crimes and being dispatched as a backup. As far as I know, no other PD in the country does this. While this works well for local call accounting in terms of types of calls and locations of calls (when used with existing beats and zones), it's gobbledygook to everyone else. God forbid that we might have a major incident where other departments might come in to help us.
 

ecps92

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Speeding is Prohibited too

And, you make call the channel a "Side" channel
around here, it could be called "Local" which is shared with the DPW/Highway Dept, there-by an allowed channel


Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought broadcasting side channels is prohibited on radio reference. Please let me know cause if not I'm starting a feed for my area today.
 

Falcon4

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The feed in my area broadcasts only dispatches from the East site of this simulcast (Chester County Emergency Services PA) Using a Uniden BCD996T. I appreciate this persons efforts but that scanner really doesnt cut the cheese on this system. Just got OP25 up and whoa it doesnt miss a beat even compared to my 436hp that routinely missed calls....I might just do this feed.
 
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