[Scan-DC] AP encryption article quoting scan-dc members

[Andrew Clegg]

To be the devil's advocate, isn't this type of information just as useful 
after the fact, rather than in real time over the radio?

Also the be the devil's advocate, I generally buy into the argument that 
it's not a good idea to let crooks listen in to what the police are doing. I 
agree that people who aren't crooks should be able to listen, and that there 
are times when there are benefits to having the public and/or the press 
listening to police communications in real time. But how do you limit 
listening just to good people? And, again being the devil's advocate, are 
there statistics that show how often someone's life or property have been 
saved only by virtue of listening to public safety operations on a scanner? 
It may have happened somewhere sometime, but it's not something I can recall 
hearing about (although it might be useful to accumulate a detailed list).

I for one believe it won't be too many more years before listening to public 
safety goes the way of listening to cell phones (I'm not trying to equate 
the two, I'm speaking in the technical sense). I've started to do a lot of 
thinking about what I plan to listen to when public safety communications is 
no longer an option. I posted that question to the group a while ago and got 
very few responses (one I think), so perhaps I'm one of the few who are 
cynical enough to worry about this.

I've been listening to the police and fire on scanners since I was a 
teenager, and I sure hope I'm able to for a good long while. But given the 
way the world is going (there's no freedom important enough to not be 
trampled on in the name of security), I don't hold out a lot of hope.

Cheers,
Andy

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Matt Stevens" <fivealarmphotography at gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, November 21, 2011 7:37 PM
To: "Doug Kitchener" <oldsdoug at hotmail.com>
Cc: <scan-dc at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] AP encryption article quoting scan-dc members

> That is a very important point. If the public knew that they wasted an
> amublance for a subject with "chapped lips" (Yes, it happened last month).
> Or the Domestic Stand-by that they did with the same couple the same day 3
> times. If they knew the truth, then there would be change.
>
> On Mon, Nov 21, 2011 at 5:58 PM, Doug Kitchener 
> <oldsdoug at hotmail.com>wrote:
>
>>
>> Whether you agree with that or not, I'll tell ya one thing... *if the
>> general public heard half of the BS that we overhear from time to time,
>> there'd be an overhaul of the police and fire systems.*  In fact, I'll
>> tell ya two things... I'd love to know what and where all the emergencies
>> are that these cops are going to that they have to run up the HOV lanes
>> during rush hour at 80 mph.
>>
>> Thanks, Tom, for posting the link.
>>
>> ----------------------------------------
>> > Date: Sun, 20 Nov 2011 18:19:30 -0500
>> > From: tom at clouse.com
>> > To: scan-dc at mailman.qth.net
>> > Subject: [Scan-DC] AP encryption article quoting scan-dc members
>> >
>> > http://www.wtop.com/?nid=893&sid=2640496
>>
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> Scan-DC mailing list
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/scan-dc
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>> Post: mailto:Scan-DC at mailman.qth.net
>>
>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>>
>
>
>
> -- 
> Matt Stevens
> Photographer
> www.FiveAlarmPhotography.com
> ______________________________________________________________
> Scan-DC mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/scan-dc
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:Scan-DC at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>