[Scan-DC] Listen to cops? Now it's easier with apps

[Alan Henney]

Orlando Sentinel (Florida)

May 25, 2010 Tuesday 
FINAL

Listen to cops? Now it's easier with apps

BYLINE: Sarah Lundy, Orlando Sentinel

SECTION: LOCAL NEWS; FLORIDA; Pg. B1

LENGTH: 560 words

Joe Mattern loves to listen to cop chatter between Los Angeles police officers. He tunes into the paramedics' channel from Bucks County, Pa., when he misses his hometown.

He also taps into Orange County Sheriff's Office scanner traffic when he wants to know if something has happening in his own neighborhood.

The Orlando man can do all this from his computer, mobile phone and iPad. 

The days of buying a scanner and programming it to listen to local cop chatter seems as outdated as Dragnet.

In today's tech-savvy world, various websites and free mobile applications, such as "Scanner Buddy" for Droid phones and "5-0 Radio: Police Scanner" on the iPhone, offer a quick and easy way to tap into scanners for your police department and agencies across the country.

Some local police agencies say this could be a problem for law enforcement.

"It's an issue that raises concern for law enforcement," said Orange County Sheriff's Office spokesman Jim Solomons. "Clearly, the technology makes it more accessible."

They don't want a potential bad guy to be tipped off to law enforcement in the area.

The website radioreference.com has about 2,000 feeds from departments across the country, including St. Cloud police and Volusia County fire.

"They give good insight into what our public-safety officials are doing every day," said the website's president and owner, Lindsay Blanton. "It provides a valuable source of information in the community. The heaviest consumers of live audio feeds are often the neighborhood-watch groups and media."

Most of the feeds come from volunteers who use their own scanners and software provided by the website.

Last fall, Blanton said, there was huge increase in mobile applications that turned phones into police scanners. So far, about 20 apps for various smart phones offer feeds from his website.

The big news events usually draw the biggest crowd.

Last year, a shooting in a downtown Orlando office building caused Interstate 4 to shut down while officers searched for the suspect. Mattern saw the numbers of those listening to the Orange County Fire-Rescue feed he voluntarily sends to radioreference.com go from six people to 500. They wanted to know more than what the police spokeswoman was saying.

"They were locked down and not given any information," said Mattern, 44, who teaches amateur radio operators how to use scanners. He also programmed the scanners used by the Orlando Sentinel.

Blanton notes his site offers day-to-day police and fire calls and not tactical channels, such as feeds for SWAT teams.

Some police agencies aren't thrilled to hear about the easy-to-use scanner applications. At least before, potential bad guys had to drive to the store, buy the scanner and know how to program it.

Now, they just need to know how to download a mobile application.

Lake Mary police Officer Zachiary Hudson said agencies will adapt if needed.

It may not even catch on, he said.

"But the concern is there," Hudson added.

One way around it: Agencies use encrypted systems, which block the public from listening.

Winter Park and Orlando police have encrypted systems. The Orange County Sheriff's Office is hoping to get such a system next year.

But it's an expensive undertaking, and most agencies aren't prepared for it.

Scanner enthusiasts shudder at the thought of it.

Sarah Lundy can be reached at slundy at orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-6218.