Scanner Found After Robbery

[SCPD]

Today it appears that there was a scanner found after a local robbery here in Edmonton. This is really terrible as I think it is a matter of time (probably very short) that the local public service (ie EPS) will go digital from its present analog on the dispatch channels.

The worst part about this is of course our scanners WILL NOT WORK and thus we will be unable to receive anything any more .. just EMS and fire stuff . BORING.

Like the Overtime incident here, which started the coffin to close, this incident along with another a few weeks ago, tell me that it is very close to the time that we will see we will lose the ability to monitor any law enforcement communications. There is RCMP but thats boring for the most part.

All we can do it pray that there arent any more incidents like this .. the last thing we need it anymore tarnishing of the image of scanner listeners.

Once EPS goes digital we will be done for ... back to EMS and fire listening I think.

This is a very grey day .. as I think this is the END of any EPS listening for a very long time. Seeing as how we will NEVER see a ProVoice scanner .. we are screwed once EPS flips the switch. Kinda like the day when they switched to Edacs from their UHF system.

DIGITAL SUCKS ...

I am very sad that our hobby is giving us less and less enjoyment as things go digital.

 

[firefgtr]

ya that goes too show it only takes 1 person to screw it up!!!!!!!

 

[scnnr]

Kevin

I was under the impression that the EPS was already pretty much Pro Voice. I would think that you should be putting more of the blame on the Local Media in your area for the push towards a non -monitorable system , re this thread:

http://radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11910&highlight=edmonton+police

 

[SCPD]

Yes .. that is the "Overtime Bar Incident" .. and that was the start of it. The dispatch channels are still analog .. and I do expect that will change if we have more incidents where the wrongful use of scanners is seen. It just puts those of us who enjoy listening to them in a lawful fashion in the same light in the eyes of police. This to me is very disturbing.

 

[electricsheep]

Living in what seems to feel at times like a very anti-scanner friendly environment, I know I am increasingly more and more cautious of what I discuss and with whom. I have always been pretty tight lipped of specific details, but these days you have to be even more cautious... The police are OPENLY hostile to people they see and find with scanners around here. This is just not fun. The last thing I want is the police knocking down my door and charging me with aiding in some criminal enterprise by supplying the data needed for their scanners... And don't tell me this is outrageous.

 

[electricsheep]

The worst part about this is of course our scanners WILL NOT WORK and thus we will be unable to receive anything any more .. just EMS and fire stuff . BORING.

What are you talking about, you can still listen in on all the "action" on the roadways and public works talkgroups, along with the fantastic entertaining LANDFILL talkgroup with those foul mouthed, sexist, racist kindergarten-educated staff they give $3,000 radios to.

And don't forget, we're getting Transit on the system sometime in the next year and a bit! Bus! Bus! Now you can get all the deets on those meth kids riding the train for free...

 

[SCPD]

And don't forget, we're getting Transit on the system sometime in the next year and a bit! Bus! Bus!

OMG .. sorry I forgot about Transit. I so live to be able to listen to what is going on with our transit community. The landfill guys ... well if things are really dead I might have to listen to them.

Thanks for renewing my enthusiasm .. I do have things to listen to.

 

[SCPD]

Today it appears that there was a scanner found after a local robbery here in Edmonton. This is really terrible as I think it is a matter of time (probably very short) that the local public service (ie EPS) will go digital from its present analog on the dispatch channels.

The worst part about this is of course our scanners WILL NOT WORK and thus we will be unable to receive anything any more .. just EMS and fire stuff . BORING.

Like the Overtime incident here, which started the coffin to close, this incident along with another a few weeks ago, tell me that it is very close to the time that we will see we will lose the ability to monitor any law enforcement communications. There is RCMP but thats boring for the most part.

All we can do it pray that there arent any more incidents like this .. the last thing we need it anymore tarnishing of the image of scanner listeners.

Once EPS goes digital we will be done for ... back to EMS and fire listening I think.

This is a very grey day .. as I think this is the END of any EPS listening for a very long time. Seeing as how we will NEVER see a ProVoice scanner .. we are screwed once EPS flips the switch. Kinda like the day when they switched to Edacs from their UHF system.

DIGITAL SUCKS ...

I am very sad that our hobby is giving us less and less enjoyment as things go digital.

It apprears these guys did a bunch of bank jobs using a scanner, they were caught by fluke, drove by an unmarked cruiser and were chased and at least one suspect is in custody one more still on the lamb for for anyway

 

[LordJ]

how soon we forget

It seems like just yesterday I was hearing about the dire straits we were in when apco comes along and we will not be able to listen to anything anymore. It will just be a matter of time/supply/demand before we find ways (if we haven't already) to listen to systems that we currently can't now. Sure there will be dead time, but something new and good always comes around. If the radio makers don't have scanners, then they have no reason to 'upgrade' people to the latest and greatest unmonitorable system. Think about it. If the radio manufacturers get to the point of having all the radios unmonitorable, where is their 'fear factor' for pushing PS to buy new ones? It's all about the money.

 

[MetalCarnage]

It seems like just yesterday I was hearing about the dire straits we were in when apco comes along and we will not be able to listen to anything anymore. It will just be a matter of time/supply/demand before we find ways (if we haven't already) to listen to systems that we currently can't now. Sure there will be dead time, but something new and good always comes around. If the radio makers don't have scanners, then they have no reason to 'upgrade' people to the latest and greatest unmonitorable system. Think about it. If the radio manufacturers get to the point of having all the radios unmonitorable, where is their 'fear factor' for pushing PS to buy new ones? It's all about the money.

You have a very good point, besides, companies who make scanners make alot of money, if no one buys scanners a huge chunk of there market vanishes....i agreee, i believe future scanners will begin to have functions available to decrypt some stuff...

 

[SCPD]

It seems like just yesterday I was hearing about the dire straits we were in when apco comes along and we will not be able to listen to anything anymore. It will just be a matter of time/supply/demand before we find ways (if we haven't already) to listen to systems that we currently can't now. Sure there will be dead time, but something new and good always comes around. If the radio makers don't have scanners, then they have no reason to 'upgrade' people to the latest and greatest unmonitorable system. Think about it. If the radio manufacturers get to the point of having all the radios unmonitorable, where is their 'fear factor' for pushing PS to buy new ones? It's all about the money.

It obvious you don't live in Edmonton, even the traffic channel is provoice digital for pete sake,

 

[electricsheep]

....i agreee, i believe future scanners will begin to have functions available to decrypt some stuff...

Uh, never mind whether a scanner manufacturer would like to do that or not, I am sure they would all like to, but that's against the law, and if you are found with equipment that can decrypt encrypted communications, you will go to jail. Plus you are forgetting the simple fact that the provoice imbe patents are held onto like the crown jewels, and there will never be a provoice capable scanner. That's part of Tyco's sales pitch when selling the damn systems, that they can't be monitored by scanners, so why would they take away ANYTHING from that revenue stream by licensing the technology to decode provoice to scanner manufacturers? It's just not in their, or their client's, interests.

 

[SCPD]

A bit OT but...

Has anyone ever made an effort to make some inside connections with the police to show them that there are those that are not out to stir trouble or break the law but enjoy scanners simply as a hobby?

Just a thought. The us against them theory never really does anybody any good.

On a side note there's a hell of a difference between the "Overtime bar" incident that led to the downfall of the chief and a bunch of scum running around robbing banks with a scanner...at least in my opinion which could be worth less than a used chunk of gum on the bottom of a shoe

 

[electricsheep]

Has anyone ever made an effort to make some inside connections with the police to show them that there are those that are not out to stir trouble or break the law but enjoy scanners simply as a hobby?

Honestly the atmousphere is so volatile and antagonistic here right now, that I think any sort of dialogue whatsoever is seen in a jaundiced light. There was an instance about nine months ago when I just by chance got pulled over by the police because I was in the same area (10 blocks away!) from an incident involving an alleged kidnapping or something, and my Jeep was "dark" in colour. Well, the member gets to my door, and sees that I have a BC785D mounted on my dash and immediately steps back into my blind spot and puts his hand on his gun while shining his flashlight right in my face! Because I had a scanner?! It was one step away from a 10-23 (high risk takedown) and having me and my wife proned out on the ground. He was fine before he saw the scanner, and was standing right at the window. But as soon as he saw the scanner and then made eye contact with me, he immediately went into a defensive agression stance where I could barely see him.

I could go on and on with other examples of how basically the police around here see you first as a suspect with a scanner, before anything else. Saying that they "hate" scanners and the idea that someone is listening to them is an understatement.

Historically they have run hardcore under the "paramilitary" model of policing here in Edmonton. Now that we have a new Chief, apparently they are now fast on the process of purposely steering away from this model to a more problem based solution of policing. Will this change the front line member view of people with scanners or radios? I hope so. Only time will tell.

 

[SCPD]

Honestly the atmousphere is so volatile and antagonistic here right now, that I think any sort of dialogue whatsoever is seen in a jaundiced light. There was an instance about nine months ago when I just by chance got pulled over by the police because I was in the same area (10 blocks away!) from an incident involving an alleged kidnapping or something, and my Jeep was "dark" in colour. Well, the member gets to my door, and sees that I have a BC785D mounted on my dash and immediately steps back into my blind spot and puts his hand on his gun while shining his flashlight right in my face! Because I had a scanner?! It was one step away from a 10-23 (high risk takedown) and having me and my wife proned out on the ground. He was fine before he saw the scanner, and was standing right at the window. But as soon as he saw the scanner and then made eye contact with me, he immediately went into a defensive agression stance where I could barely see him.

I could go on and on with other examples of how basically the police around here see you first as a suspect with a scanner, before anything else. Saying that they "hate" scanners and the idea that someone is listening to them is an understatement.

Historically they have run hardcore under the "paramilitary" model of policing here in Edmonton. Now that we have a new Chief, apparently they are now fast on the process of purposely steering away from this model to a more problem based solution of policing. Will this change the front line member view of people with scanners or radios? I hope so. Only time will tell.

Wow. I hope for everyone's sake out that way that it does. I can remember a time here in the area of Ontario that I'm in when things were like that. Police were in no way used to having media show up at active scenes and when I first started showing up at accidents, homicides, fires etc. I took more than a little flack. Have also been proned out on my way to a gun call that was resolved. I had gone down a side street where the perimeter had been released but came across a couple of rookies armed with lovely shot guns who hadn't heard that they'd been released. It took a lot of time and convincing to finally get the word out that it wasn't a bad thing to have people listening in general and had benefits to have media on scene as it happened. When I gave it all up a few years ago things were really good. I've got some strong ties with the PD still that can help big time when stopped in a radar zone...But some of the "old timers"...oh boy, sometimes you can just HOPE that they all retire at the same time.

With a bit of luck, the new chief will continue on the path of open relationships and mending the fences...including not going full encryption. Reading the current atmosphere though I sure am glad I don't live in Edmonton.

 

[Outtolima]

My uncle spent 28 years in the RCMP and i have very fond memories of visiting his home as a child.Upon arrival i would head directly to his latest scanner and sit there for hours listening until my parents pryed me away to go home.My uncle gave me my first scanner in 1977 and i havent been without one since.

I credit all of the hours i spent listening for the huge respect i have for law enforcement and what they do for the community.It saddens me to know that unscrupulous media types and lowlife criminals are well on ther way to ruining a great and honourable hobby.

 

[SCPD]

Respect Given - Respect Returned

The EPS has had a rough time in the last while with the Overtime situation etc .. and it is good to see that with a change in Chief of Police there appears to be sense of renewed trust. The EPS is a great organization and one that is respected world wide. It is well known for some of its programs, for example crimestoppers.

To paint the members as bad is a mistake, as for the most part they are very hard working and respected. It is the rare egg that has spoiled the reputation that they have built up. These people are being dealt with internally by the organization .. it is not our place to do this as there are processes and procedures in place for this.

With my father being a former EPS member, I have the upmost respect for the EPS members and the work that they do. It hurts me to see some of the feelings that some members have towards scanner listeners. I have been listening for almost 30 years now .. and still remember listening to my father walking the beat. This is what scanning is all about .. enjoyment of the airwaves. It is this that is lost sometimes ... and something we can only hope to regain.

I have on numerous occasions helped police corral criminals. Why .. cause the police do need citizens to come up to the plate and make our city safer for all of us. Am I a criminal cause I am a scanner listener ? Far from it. But in some eyes we scanner listeners are ...

How can we fight this stereotype ... ?

By showing police that we are not bad and contribute to the community by listening and helping protect our communities. By reporting criminal activity they will maybe see that scanners are overwhelmingly used by law abiding citizens, and only a very small percentage of users are those that are using them for bad.

 

[Mudary]

Scanners and EPS

I help out the EPS by being a member of the Ottewell Community Patrol Program. We go out and patrol areas assigned being the eyes and ears for the constables. Along with Millwoods and CPRN, we are able to direct constables in catching these criminals. As for going into specifics, patrol schedules, radios, talkgroups (if not already posted somewhere and by someone else) I can not disclose that info, sorry.

Mudary