Idiotic me should have known better about the Scanning Laws in NY. I thought that my ham radio license made me exempt from this BS. I hastily read the law though. I must have confused NY with Florida or something.
Quick Story (No my Radio didn't get taken away or arrested, etc.):
I decided to bring my BCD-396T and my Icom UHF and VHF (IC-F14) handhelds to NYC. A few months ago I was thinking about bringing my spare Radio Shack no Thrills non trunking portable VHF/UHF scanner in case it got confiscated or something. I however forgot all about it and decided against it.
I should have known better, I originally planned to travel scanner free to the Statue of Liberty that day. I ended up bringing my BCD-396T with me at the last minute.
This story is going to show how police officers, interperate or apply the law to the current situation. What I am trying to say is that each police officer may have a different understanding of what a certain law may mean (this is where Supervisors and commanding officers come in the field).
-Arrived at the Statue of Liberty Screening area (at Battery Park, NY), Wackenhut asks me what it is I say its a police scanner, the gaurd is like I have to get a US Park Police Officer. US Park Police Officer comes out, he takes the scanner and asks his Sgt. if its okay if I have this. The Officer asks me what it RXs and I explained police stuff, etc. I said I don't listen to them because they are encrypted (There P-25 but you know what I mean). The Officer was very nice and professional and said its cool as long as I don't have it on and listening on the Islands (Ellis, Liberty, etc.). I thought okay no big deal I'm cool now. There the US Park Police they must communicate.
This is where the complete opposite happens and its kind of comical:
-Arrived at the Statue of Liberty Screening area (Liberty Island), Wackenhut asks me what it is I say its a police scanner, the gaurd is like I have to get a US Park Police Officer. While I was waiting I saw a senior officer (mid 40s probably) leave his post and a younger officer (my age mid 20s to early 30s) walks in with a bunch of newspapers and stuff and takes over at the senior officer's post. I kind of get the impression that hes kind of filling in for a break or something. Wackenhut gaurd then gives the Scanner to the US Park Officer. No Hi, no nothing all of a sudden he starts being a jerk. Asks me what's this? I said a Police Scanner, oh those are Illegal in NYS! You can't have this, What side did you come through? I said Officer, I didn't know it was illegal to own one (he is right I didn't know at the time) I was very nice to him, He could tell I was nervous and was taking advantage of it. He seemed more pissed because I interruppted his reading of the NY Post Sports page. I said I'm a ham radio operator, the Officer in NY said it was fine as long as I keep the radio off on this island, which I have been doing and I put the battery in backwards to avoid accidental turn ons. He then asks to see some ID, I am like good he is going to run me through do his job, make sure I am not wanted in 50 states. He didn't run me through at all. Probably after he saw my MA license he knew I was clueless. He then said what do I do? I said I am a Pharmacy Tech., and in the process of becoming an LPN, then an RN. He then has me turn on the scanner. (This is another reason not to use a complicated scanner like the BCD-396T in situations like this, earilier that day I found a bunch of Fed frequencies, one of which I was sure was the Park Police), I then shut close call off. He saw my NYPD and PAPD stuff. After all this he calls his Sgt, and I hear the Sgt. kind of whining at him to leave the kid alone and I am on my way. The US Park cop gives me some Terrorist BS excuse and let me go. He kept asking me what a Ham Radio license was and who do I work for. This also got me to thinking what is the point of "checking an ID" radomly or planned if you don't run it through the Warrants and Wants computer (III, NCIC, or in MA CJIS, WMS)
I looked at N2FG's scanner pages and understand the implications behind the law better.
Some things that I will now do when scanning in NY:
-Don't bring scanners to places like the Statue of Liberty
-Leave the nice radios at the Hotel
-Take the Cheaper no thrills VHF/UHF handheld scanner with you when out and about
-Don't assume all police officers view the law the same way
-Don't try to understand or bargain with police officers and the laws even if they make no sense
-Its whats in the radio that matters. This cop would have not cared if I had just ham radio stuff or CB in my scanner. Or Broadcast band.
-Scan Discreetly and use common sense.
What I don't understand
-Why does Radioshack in the PA Bus Terminal Sell scanners if they are so "illegal in NYS" (My guess is that they are legal to own and use as long as you don't listen to Public Safety)
-This law is outdated, maybe it was useful before cellphones and MDTs and encryption.
-The law should totally be changed to other states which make it unlawful to use in the commision of a crime, etc. that ideology. The wording of the current law seems like they rushed to write the law and the wording is contridicating as demonstrated on N2FG's site.
Just my .002 Cents
Quick Story (No my Radio didn't get taken away or arrested, etc.):
I decided to bring my BCD-396T and my Icom UHF and VHF (IC-F14) handhelds to NYC. A few months ago I was thinking about bringing my spare Radio Shack no Thrills non trunking portable VHF/UHF scanner in case it got confiscated or something. I however forgot all about it and decided against it.
I should have known better, I originally planned to travel scanner free to the Statue of Liberty that day. I ended up bringing my BCD-396T with me at the last minute.
This story is going to show how police officers, interperate or apply the law to the current situation. What I am trying to say is that each police officer may have a different understanding of what a certain law may mean (this is where Supervisors and commanding officers come in the field).
-Arrived at the Statue of Liberty Screening area (at Battery Park, NY), Wackenhut asks me what it is I say its a police scanner, the gaurd is like I have to get a US Park Police Officer. US Park Police Officer comes out, he takes the scanner and asks his Sgt. if its okay if I have this. The Officer asks me what it RXs and I explained police stuff, etc. I said I don't listen to them because they are encrypted (There P-25 but you know what I mean). The Officer was very nice and professional and said its cool as long as I don't have it on and listening on the Islands (Ellis, Liberty, etc.). I thought okay no big deal I'm cool now. There the US Park Police they must communicate.
This is where the complete opposite happens and its kind of comical:
-Arrived at the Statue of Liberty Screening area (Liberty Island), Wackenhut asks me what it is I say its a police scanner, the gaurd is like I have to get a US Park Police Officer. While I was waiting I saw a senior officer (mid 40s probably) leave his post and a younger officer (my age mid 20s to early 30s) walks in with a bunch of newspapers and stuff and takes over at the senior officer's post. I kind of get the impression that hes kind of filling in for a break or something. Wackenhut gaurd then gives the Scanner to the US Park Officer. No Hi, no nothing all of a sudden he starts being a jerk. Asks me what's this? I said a Police Scanner, oh those are Illegal in NYS! You can't have this, What side did you come through? I said Officer, I didn't know it was illegal to own one (he is right I didn't know at the time) I was very nice to him, He could tell I was nervous and was taking advantage of it. He seemed more pissed because I interruppted his reading of the NY Post Sports page. I said I'm a ham radio operator, the Officer in NY said it was fine as long as I keep the radio off on this island, which I have been doing and I put the battery in backwards to avoid accidental turn ons. He then asks to see some ID, I am like good he is going to run me through do his job, make sure I am not wanted in 50 states. He didn't run me through at all. Probably after he saw my MA license he knew I was clueless. He then said what do I do? I said I am a Pharmacy Tech., and in the process of becoming an LPN, then an RN. He then has me turn on the scanner. (This is another reason not to use a complicated scanner like the BCD-396T in situations like this, earilier that day I found a bunch of Fed frequencies, one of which I was sure was the Park Police), I then shut close call off. He saw my NYPD and PAPD stuff. After all this he calls his Sgt, and I hear the Sgt. kind of whining at him to leave the kid alone and I am on my way. The US Park cop gives me some Terrorist BS excuse and let me go. He kept asking me what a Ham Radio license was and who do I work for. This also got me to thinking what is the point of "checking an ID" radomly or planned if you don't run it through the Warrants and Wants computer (III, NCIC, or in MA CJIS, WMS)
I looked at N2FG's scanner pages and understand the implications behind the law better.
Some things that I will now do when scanning in NY:
-Don't bring scanners to places like the Statue of Liberty
-Leave the nice radios at the Hotel
-Take the Cheaper no thrills VHF/UHF handheld scanner with you when out and about
-Don't assume all police officers view the law the same way
-Don't try to understand or bargain with police officers and the laws even if they make no sense
-Its whats in the radio that matters. This cop would have not cared if I had just ham radio stuff or CB in my scanner. Or Broadcast band.
-Scan Discreetly and use common sense.
What I don't understand
-Why does Radioshack in the PA Bus Terminal Sell scanners if they are so "illegal in NYS" (My guess is that they are legal to own and use as long as you don't listen to Public Safety)
-This law is outdated, maybe it was useful before cellphones and MDTs and encryption.
-The law should totally be changed to other states which make it unlawful to use in the commision of a crime, etc. that ideology. The wording of the current law seems like they rushed to write the law and the wording is contridicating as demonstrated on N2FG's site.
Just my .002 Cents
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