I realize I'm late getting on this thread, apologies. I just can't help sharing my experience with this topic in general. I've been a scanner geek since I was 11. I have always monitored our local PD and years ago became a volunteer for that agency. I worked very closely with administration, patrol, investigation, prevention, etc. I did more ride-alongs than I can count in addition. I also have close friends who work for the local newspaper.
Before the PD became so dependent on MDTs for routine messaging, Dispatch would call the Watch Commander every evening around 6-7 pm & ask "Code-20?", which was their code for "do we have anything to release to the media?". Invariably the answer was "Negative". REALLY?! I'm sitting there thinking to myself, umm, we just had a drive-by with 2 trauma victims code 3 to the ER as a result, a major traffic collision, some dude jumping fences through a neighborhood, and a missing-endangered juvenile. This, mind you is any average weeknight, just wait until Saturday night! Stunned, I asked my friends at the newspaper if they even owned a scanner. One of the guys said "yeah, there's 3 in the news desk area but they always have them turned down because they're a distraction". WTH?! I guess the saying "you can't fix stupid" pretty much fits as far as that particular "newspaper" is concerned. Personally, as a citizen, I think I should be allowed to be aware of some goon hopping fences if it were my neighborhood, and the PD and City can't maintain the whole "quaint community/wholesome" BS forever when the gang violence is staring you on the face, and what if that was your 12 year-old daughter that went missing?? I know I would want everyone to be aware on the lookout. SMH! Rant over, peace.
Before the PD became so dependent on MDTs for routine messaging, Dispatch would call the Watch Commander every evening around 6-7 pm & ask "Code-20?", which was their code for "do we have anything to release to the media?". Invariably the answer was "Negative". REALLY?! I'm sitting there thinking to myself, umm, we just had a drive-by with 2 trauma victims code 3 to the ER as a result, a major traffic collision, some dude jumping fences through a neighborhood, and a missing-endangered juvenile. This, mind you is any average weeknight, just wait until Saturday night! Stunned, I asked my friends at the newspaper if they even owned a scanner. One of the guys said "yeah, there's 3 in the news desk area but they always have them turned down because they're a distraction". WTH?! I guess the saying "you can't fix stupid" pretty much fits as far as that particular "newspaper" is concerned. Personally, as a citizen, I think I should be allowed to be aware of some goon hopping fences if it were my neighborhood, and the PD and City can't maintain the whole "quaint community/wholesome" BS forever when the gang violence is staring you on the face, and what if that was your 12 year-old daughter that went missing?? I know I would want everyone to be aware on the lookout. SMH! Rant over, peace.