2007-02-15 16:00:13 · 6 answers · asked by Tony Starks 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
Yes, where legal you can hear what is going on in the police radio.
We affectionally call it scanner-land
we know you can hear us and with some dedication you can likely figure out what radio codes mean, However it is not a huge secret that people own scanners. Because of this most of the interesting/sensitive information is not transmitted over the radio.
Media uses scanners to learn about good stories at the same time the officers do.
2007-02-15 16:04:25 · answer #1 · answered by aj_reel 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes and no. We are aware of scanner land and anything that is really sensitive goes over a scrambled channel, the MDT or by cell phone. Therefore they are not effective for bad guys.
What is really fun to do is this. When you know the meth house has a scanner, and you know they just got a shipment in BUT you don't have the pc for a warrant, you set up on the house and watch. Get on the radio and transmit something like "The house we are going to hit next is 1234 2nd street". God it is sooooo funny watching the paranoid tweekers running about and flushing their stash.
Or better yet, get 3-4 cars and pull into the driveway real fast with lights and sirens on. Everyone get out and run up to the house and beat on the door. If they answer you ask if they've seen the loose pit bull running down the street. By that time, the drugs are flushed and they are out their stash.
2007-02-16 03:54:10 · answer #2 · answered by Combatcop 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As far as I am concerned they are very effective. I'm sure now days they are much approved. It was about 20 years ago that I had one. It was really great to have one where I lived in northern Arizona particulary in the winter. I could listen in on the local and Highway police , the Sheriff Dept.; the forest service; emergency units and at time airplane taking off and landing. I think in some states its now against the law to have a scanner.
2007-02-16 00:37:17 · answer #3 · answered by shawn 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, they are very effective and legal. Once they are programmed properly you can pick up almost anything that is transmitted.
2007-02-16 00:12:16 · answer #4 · answered by rollie r 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I've never owned one, but they bother me because if a murderer or child molester has access to one it makes it easier to dodge to LEOs. How does that strike your fancy? Oh and they're illegal in CO.
2007-02-16 00:33:37 · answer #5 · answered by Riley 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Effective or not in what way?! They are good for listening to, bad for making toast.
2007-02-16 00:07:52 · answer #6 · answered by columind99 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋