[WIham] MJS 3/15/10: Digital police radios black out public access

[Johnpoiron at cs.com]

Sorry about that last blank message.

Not all trunked digital emergency communcations systems are un-scannable. 
There are trunked digital scanners exist for example, (Bearcat) that will 
pick up on the Motorola system used in PA and NJ. 

I'm not sure whether FCC regulations give us a right to be given the 
ability to listen to police radio. We are allowed to listen if we have a receiver.

I'm not sure whether the news media is in violation of FCC regulations by 
using for their own profit motive, the information obtained from scanners.

I volunteered with the Fire Dept for 37 years. The news media showed up, 
insurance claim adjusters showed up. They got in the way most of the time. The 
media seldom got the story straight, even though they were on the scene.

I hold a dim view of the media. In the name of watchdog, they claim access 
everywhere. Then they tell us what THEY think is important; and they tell 
the story the way THEY want to tell it. The facts lie somewhere in between.

As for Milwaukees radio system implementation problems, they are not the 
first city to experience such problems. Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and 
Trenton, NJ come to mind. Implementation problems should by now, be well known in 
the business. I fault the technical people at the supplier as much as I 
fault the city.

Police & fire personnel rely on HTs. When in the bowels of a building for 
example, the HTs were unable to hit the repeaters. This lack of reliable 
communication places these people at great risk until the system problems are 
worked out. 

Is it cool to be able to know what's going on before everyone else?? Sure 
!! 

Do we have the right to hear everything the police say? I'm not too sure 
about that. And for what it's worth, the police know about scanners. To keep 
communications secure many of these guys use cell phones. 

So that's my two cents --- for what it's worth.