Police scanner... tactical tool?

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skeeter1

New member
A few weeks ago I got a police & fire scanner, mostly for the entertainment value. (Amazing what goes on around you on a Saturday night that you never hear about.)

Well, today was a little different. I got up this morning and flipped on the scanner to discover a bank robery in progress. That would have been interesting enough, but this particular bank is only 2 blocks from my house. The heist got botched and the BGs ended up taking off into the woods on foot. Hearing that, I grabbed my .38 snubby and dropped it in my pocket and locked the doors. About an hour later, with the help from serveral surrounding PDs and 3 K-9 units, the BGs were rounded up.

Had it not been for the scanner, I wouldn't have known about it and probably would have left my doors unlocked as usual and the HD gun up on the nightstand.

The scanner was meant to be an interesting diversion, but it proved quite useful today. :cool:
 
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tomh1426

New member
I wanted to get one of those just to see whats goin on around me, what kinda scanner did you get?
My buddy had one and he lived in a really crappy neigborhood, lotsa interesting stuff.
 
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Thunderhawk88

Moderator
Been listening since I was born. My Dad was Boston FD, and our home was wired for fire calls, and it was going 24/7. That was before scanners, so the first radio I remember was an olive green monster, surplused from a tank, with the proper crystals for BFD.
I still have my Dad's first real scanner, it was a Realistic set that used plug-in crystals, and his last scanner, a Bearcat. I have my own scanners now, a base unit and a hand-held (that I also use at the Nascar races to listen to the drivers).
 
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teriyakisaki

New member
i do security and we always have it with us. when it comes to our situation, we can really be aware of whats going on. we know if theres any possible suspects hanging out in our area, or if something is going on that we dont know about (otherside of property, preoccupied, etc). it also helps us so we know about possible response times. if you live in a major metropolitan area it can be a huge advantage.
 
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Seven High

New member
I suggest that you do a lot of research before you buy a scanner. A lot of law enforcement agencys and fire departments are going to the 800mhz trunking system. Some systems are encrypted. You cannot hear them. A scanner at Radio Shack that will receive the 800mhz trunking system runs, with accesories, $550.00. Kind if pricey if you ask me!
 
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Manedwolf

Moderator
Not just trunking, but digital.

A digital scanner is around $500. All the police and fire around here is now pure digital. If you buy a regular scanner, even a trunking one, all you'll hear is static.
Had it not been for the scanner, I wouldn't have known about it and probably would have left my doors unlocked as usual
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Just keep your doors locked, and you won't have to worry. Why would anyone leave their doors unlocked now, anyway? On the chance that you won't be a victim of a home invasion? There is no such thing as a "safe area".
 
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WSM MAGNUM

New member
Your best defense; is to just always be prepared. You can`t be listening to a scanner all night long, when the real crime is happening. :rolleyes:
 
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ZeSpectre

New member
Radio scanning is a great hobby (and dovetails nicely with the "be prepared" mentality).

The good
-more info about what's going on
-an enhanced appreciation of what LEO and Fire/Rescue go through EVERY DAY
-Fun to be "in the know"

The bad
-Setup can be a royal pain
-Sometimes you find out stuff you'd rather not know :eek:
-The wrong type/model can be worse than useless (do some research about 800mhz, trunking/trunk tracking, digital transmissions).
-Some places are going to/have gone to, encrypted digital. You can get a regular digital capable scanner but if your departments have gone encrypted you are SOL.

Usually the best bet is to find a scanner fan in your area and tap their knowledge.
 
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Gbro

New member
The are BG's that use scanners also.
Our county is changing over to 800 trunking and we will miss our noise box that has been running for decades. I will have a new portable to use until we find a scanner that will work with the new system.
I do fully believe that scanners are a great quality assurance tool for LEO's. There is nothing wrong with Joe Public keeping an ear on our protectors in blue. Now tactical channels are another matter.
 
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newerguy

New member
Expect some police to start transitioning to 700mhz in two years or so. I suspect most digital trunked scanners will pick up any P25 digital transmissions, I'm not sure how common security encryption is.
 
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mattro

New member
Can anyone recommend an inexpensive handheld scanner for police and fire. Brand and would be real helpful.
 
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Manedwolf

Moderator
Actually, you can monitor a number of agencies online. Go here to pick from a number of live feeds from departments all over the country.
Click to expand...

They're not maintaining that page, unfortunately. The links I clicked on for NH and Florida are dead links.

Can anyone recommend an inexpensive handheld scanner for police and fire. Brand and would be real helpful.
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You need to know if your area is digital or not. If it is, there's no such thing as an inexpensive one, and any money spent on an inexpensive analog one will be wasted, since you'll hear only silence and hiss.
 
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