Ypsilanti Man Fires at Passing Chase

[rdale]

What if the guy just happen to be sitting on his front porch (with no scanner), and heard/saw the chase coming down the street, and took his shot?

Then this story has nothing to do with scanners... But the guy heard the chase on his scanner and decided to take the matters into his own hands.

I don't get why you're confused... If the guy doesn't have a scanner, he doesn't sit and wait for the car to pass by. If he's 1) sitting on his front porch at this hour hoping there's a chase on his street 2) while carrying a gun then 3) he has other issues to deal with.

But how anyone can say "This story has nothing to do with scanners" is not an opinion -- it's a WRONG statement.

 

[rdale]

To make it easier for the two of you to understand... If he watched this live on TV and decided to shoot, then the TV coverage is part of the equation. If he had a subscription to a breaking news service and got the page and decided to shoot, then the breaking news service is part of the equation. If his buddy over on 9 Mile Road saw it go past and called him, then his buddy is part of the story.

But he heard it on the scanner. Therefore, there is no way to say "This story has nothing to do with scanners."

 

[iMONITOR]

Then this story has nothing to do with scanners... But the guy heard the chase on his scanner and decided to take the matters into his own hands.

I don't get why you're confused... If the guy doesn't have a scanner, he doesn't sit and wait for the car to pass by. If he's 1) sitting on his front porch at this hour hoping there's a chase on his street 2) while carrying a gun then 3) he has other issues to deal with.

But how anyone can say "This story has nothing to do with scanners" is not an opinion -- it's a WRONG statement.

We're not the ones confused. You're missing my point. The scanner is only one of many ways the shooter could have become aware of the chase. As I said, he could have observed it personally. Not that he was sitting on his porch waiting for the opportunity, but just that he happed to be in the right spot, at the right time. Or he could have heard about it via 'Breaking News', on TV, or the regular broadcast radio, or an incident paging service, etc. So eliminating the scanner, or encrypting communications, might not prevent something like this from happening again.

 

[rdale]

So eliminating the scanner, or encrypting communications, might not prevent something like this from happening again.

Which I agree with... But you can't say "this story has nothing to do with scanners." Because in this case, no scanner = no story.

 

[Thunderbolt]

I could see many departments, and have heard first hand from the former YPD chief that he hates scanners, and wishes for encryption. Incidences like these will only further push other departments to enable encryption when they switch over to the MPSCS if they haven't done so already. Though, budget issues might be the final say in all of that.

The Ypsilanti Police Dept. (YPD) started using single-phase inversion voice scramblers (encryption) in the late 1960s. Their detective and tactical units were the first to make use of this technology in Washtenaw County. Later on, starting around 1970, the EMU Police Dept. upgraded their entire radio system, and voice inversion scrambling was procured. Finally, in 1972, when the new dispatch center was installed, all of the YPD patrol cars and their new main radio console had the ability to use this simple form of encryption.

The reason behind the full-scale implementation of voice privacy technology, was that the criminal element in Ypsilanti, was able to monitor their radio communications and avoid capture. Secondly, to keep the news media from showing up at critical incidents. Thirdly, as a countermeasure to the organizers of campus protests and riots, who were using police band radio receivers in the late 1960s and into the 1970s.

In 1981, the YPD patrol car radios were upgraded from the old single channel MOCOM 70 models, to a new four channel units that were black in color. Likewise, they also contained the ability to use voice inversion scrambling. However, the big change occurred in 1986 when the new Centracom II console was ordered, it only had the capability to use encryption on 155.130 MHz, their main dispatch channel. Moreover, there was a policy change at the same time to use encryption less frequently than in the past. This was because several city council members had scanners, but could not listen in when they went "Code 7."

The current YPD Channel #2 is supposed to be encrypted, but due to severe audio problems, they no longer use this function. Conversely, this may change when the new digital system is installed. All of the new radios are upgradable to encryption if needed by each department. However, the bottom line is cost, and will each agency spend the money to do so?

73s

Ron

 

[offdoody93]

Shooting Idiot

No matter what, this guy had no right to shoot.
Scanning is a great hobby and I have been doing it for many years. Most listeners are law abiding citizens but unfortunately criminals use them also.
Am I for encryption? You betcha. The sooner all law enforcement goes to encription, pro voice etc. the sooner the new scanners will come out that picks them up. Big business and money will win. Just another stepping stone for us.

 

[JoeyC]

The sooner all law enforcement goes to encription, pro voice etc. the sooner the new scanners will come out that picks them up. Big business and money will win. Just another stepping stone for us.

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