Saint Charles County/City Communication Problems

Status
Not open for further replies.

waingro223

Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2008
Messages
49
Was anyone monitoring Saint Charles City and Saint Charles County today (2-15-12) between the hours of 10-12pm? I heard both county and city talking about only getting 3 or 4 bars around Ameristar Casino. There was a lot of talking going on between the two departments. I was curious if anyone might know what exactly was going on. I must of picked up late on the conversation they were having later on when I started listening between 11:00am and 11:30. I heard some officer from the city saying they were not getting any bars on there mobiles. I also heard something about being patched through because the city officer didn't have a certain channel on his radio. I was just curious if maybe a tower was down or something. If anyone has any information I would appreciate it. One other question. What does it mean exactly, and how does it work when a officer has to be patched through?
 

KeyWest35

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 22, 2010
Messages
136
Location
St Louis County Missouri
There was no problems with their communications it was a police operation. I am an avid scanner listener but sometimes feel encryptiion should be used for certain radio traffic as unfortunately the wrong people may also be listening and put the officer and operation in jeopardy.
 

waingro223

Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2008
Messages
49
A Police Exercise Eh?

Your saying it was a exercise? Why do you think encryption should of been used if it was a exercise? I don't see how they were in any danger, I'm also a avid scanner listener myself, I have been listening since I was around 10 or 12. I have several friends and a family member who are involved in public safety. I agree the Federal Agencies, Sting operations and swat should be encrypted sometimes, but if the police want to talk about something secret that's what there cell phones and laptops are for. Occasionally you can here a sting going on with the DEA and its pretty interesting and fun to hear. Most people could care less about police and radio traffic but its a fun hobby and we have the right to listen. After all we pay for there radios and patrol cars out of are taxes. Anyone who is a scanner enthusiast like myself should know that going to a scene is illegal and should be smart enough to stay away and let the professionals do there job. I hope we don't see full time encryption for all police, fire and EMS or we are going to have to find a new hobby! By the way how did the exercise go and what was it about? Thanks for the explanation Keywest35
 

brscomm

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
44
Location
Bubbaville these days.
We have no "right" to listen. These radio systems are meant for the private internal communications needs of the agency. The fact that we have been listening in doesn't mean we can continue to do so. However, one must wonder why a police agency feels the need to encrypt all communications. What do they have to hide? The bad guys aren't listening in that often and if they are, so what. Just encrypt any tactical ops. Not much any bad guy can do when he hears a vehicle stop or a pursuit. When you encrypt, you lock out all those eyes in the community that could help you do your job. If you want to stop encryption, go to city council meetings and speak up. Write letters to the council members.

As for going to a scene, It's not illegal unless you interfere with operations. just profoundly stupid.
 

waingro223

Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2008
Messages
49
Scanners would be Illegal if they didn't want us to listen, but there not. I believe we have the right to listen. We aren't harming anyone by listening to them. Like i said before if there is sensitive material they don't want us to know about than they will find a way so we don't know about it.
 

iamhere300

Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2004
Messages
1,346
Location
Chappell Hill TX
Your saying it was a exercise? Why do you think encryption should of been used if it was a exercise? I don't see how they were in any danger, I'm also a avid scanner listener myself, I have been listening since I was around 10 or 12. I have several friends and a family member who are involved in public safety. I agree the Federal Agencies, Sting operations and swat should be encrypted sometimes, but if the police want to talk about something secret that's what there cell phones and laptops are for. Occasionally you can here a sting going on with the DEA and its pretty interesting and fun to hear. Most people could care less about police and radio traffic but its a fun hobby and we have the right to listen. After all we pay for there radios and patrol cars out of are taxes. Anyone who is a scanner enthusiast like myself should know that going to a scene is illegal and should be smart enough to stay away and let the professionals do there job. I hope we don't see full time encryption for all police, fire and EMS or we are going to have to find a new hobby! By the way how did the exercise go and what was it about? Thanks for the explanation Keywest35

Wow.

Where did he say it was an exercise?
 

iamhere300

Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2004
Messages
1,346
Location
Chappell Hill TX
Was anyone monitoring Saint Charles City and Saint Charles County today (2-15-12) between the hours of 10-12pm? I heard both county and city talking about only getting 3 or 4 bars around Ameristar Casino. There was a lot of talking going on between the two departments. I was curious if anyone might know what exactly was going on. I must of picked up late on the conversation they were having later on when I started listening between 11:00am and 11:30. I heard some officer from the city saying they were not getting any bars on there mobiles. I also heard something about being patched through because the city officer didn't have a certain channel on his radio. I was just curious if maybe a tower was down or something. If anyone has any information I would appreciate it. One other question. What does it mean exactly, and how does it work when a officer has to be patched through?

Sound like they may have had an issue, but I don't have knowledge of it. The patch usually means when they "patch" two systems together, either via a console patch or another patch like an ACU. This effectively bridges a channel or talkgroup to another channel or talkgroup.
 

waingro223

Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2008
Messages
49
Gotcha on the patch thing, Thanks. He said it was a operation they were doing, I replied and called it a exercise, I meant the same thing I just worded it different. Operation/Exercise
 

iamhere300

Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2004
Messages
1,346
Location
Chappell Hill TX
Gotcha on the patch thing, Thanks. He said it was a operation they were doing, I replied and called it a exercise, I meant the same thing I just worded it different. Operation/Exercise

Whatever works - but two totally different things. When we do an "operation" is a real life thing, and actual incident.

When we do an exercise it is real life (hopefully) training for an incident.
 

scanner30

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jul 14, 2011
Messages
11
Location
missouri
bars

the one bar and higher bar refers to something they are traking...... maybe a gps pack from a bank robbery or a stolen car. they have a devicd in there car that operates off of signal strength not gps location. has nothing to do with there strength from there handhelds.
 

waingro223

Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2008
Messages
49
Yeah I recently heard that the police around here can track bank bags so that does make sense. Thank you
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top