Police scanners

[Glock 'em down]

Can you talk to my old man?? My only guess is that because his dad was a cop and then him that that staticky racket is some kinda while noise to him. Whatever it is "it" has me plotting his demise fairly regularly.

Sorry baby, some guys (like Scott) just live for that. Me? I got burned out on that chit damn near 20 years ago.

Folks will see me in Walmart or somewhere and ask me, "hey, what was going on over on Timmons street the other night?"

I wanna answer, "I don't know, and I don't care. Why in phuks sake do YOU care?" But I just smile and tell them I was off duty.

 

[Gadsden]

Depending on what agency you want to listen to you may or may not be able to. Perfect example is TPD, they have begun using encryption technology for their communications so there’s no way any scanner is going to pick up their traffic.

 

[leemozoid]

So we went to the movies tonight (a rare occasion). I took the younger two to a different movie which just got out. We walked outside to go wait in the car and there are three city police SUV’s parked blocking in a truck and a guy is outside on the phone. No cops outside so clearly they’ve talked to him. All this backstory to say that I am wildly curious what is the deal. So, are police scanners legal? Can I buy one? What should I get? Quick Google search found this. I know there are very many current and former LEO here so who knows if anyone knows (clearly joking).

View attachment 433977

Radio airwaves under FCC regulation are public domain and therefor legal to listen to. It is illegal to own a radio capable of transmitting on those frequencies unless you are authorized to do so. Agencies who do not want to have their transmissions monitored are free to use scrambling technology to do so.

 

[jeromebill7718]

Just use the app.

 

[jeromebill7718]

Just use the app.

Just use the app.

https://images.app.goo.gl/3DhXqSez1XJjMXt57

 

[bigfug]

They're perfectly legal. I have two...that I don't use. One is older and probably not of much use in a metro area due to the types of signals used these days. The other would probably work but I'm not smart enough to program it. There are places that will program them for you to pick up all the police/fire type traffic in your area. But with all the online services now I never wanted to spend the money to have mine programmed since I live in a very rural area and I doubt I'd get much traffic on it anyway.

OMG THIS THIS A THOUSAND TIMES THIS! I would SHOOT Grumpy if he came home wagging a scanner! Talk about a BUNCH of racket I do NOT miss!

Funny Note: (this is how old my old man is) Grumpy remembers a time when OCPD only had 4 channels. Now they have at least 2 for each division (and I think there are 5 divisions), a TAC channel, a SWAT channel, a traffic channel and a channel they share with OHP.

Sheesh ... I can't stand the racket when he's watching COPS. I'd be an alcoholic if he had a scanner. That damned handheld was bad enough. He NEVER shut that thing off. Cops are as bad as little old church ladies -- TERRIFIED they are gonna miss something.

Rural areas you'll be able to most anything going on, they just dont have much going on. Those agencies are typically on OMAC or the OKWIN system. All agencies but a handful in Oklahoma County are on OKC's P25 system. Handful of Canadian County agencies are on it as well. After the first of the year, no app or scanner will be able to listen to those as they all and Norman and the agencies on their system will be encrypted.

As far as divisions and channels go, there are 4 divisions, and I am sure you know some if not most of this @THAT Gurl , but this is for those that dont. SW (Southwest) SF (Santa Fe), SL (Springlake), and HF (Hefner), Bricktown is not a Division per say, but falls under US (Uniform Support) along with Motors, Traffic, Parking Enforcement, Airport, Bike Patrol, Tac Team, ERT, Bomb Squad etc. City Radios are programmed with Talk groups, and each talk group can have up to 16 channels. I can get you an approximate number of how many channels and talk groups there are total but each division has 1 channel. The radios can have dozens or more talk groups depending on the officers assignment. They have can have channels or talk groups for special events, mutual aid channels, OHP Metro, OHP Rural, neighboring agencies, etc. Units can have their own channel or talk groups, and what is on each individual radio is all determined by the radio "personality" or profile. An officers assignment dictates what personality they get. Patrol wont get Tac Team channels, or Bomb squad, Crim intel channels etc. Those types of channels require command authorization. Speaking of tac team, they carry DD MK18's and they as well as any officer, is now authorized to carry the Staccato. They also have this now...

https://therook.ringpower.com/

 

[THAT Gurl]

Rural areas you'll be able to most anything going on, they just dont have much going on. Those agencies are typically on OMAC or the OKWIN system. All agencies but a handful in Oklahoma County are on OKC's P25 system. Handful of Canadian County agencies are on it as well. After the first of the year, no app or scanner will be able to listen to those as they all and Norman and the agencies on their system will be encrypted.

As far as divisions and channels go, there are 4 divisions, and I am sure you know some if not most of this @THAT Gurl , but this is for those that dont. SW (Southwest) SF (Santa Fe), SL (Springlake), and HF (Hefner), Bricktown is not a Division per say, but falls under US (Uniform Support) along with Motors, Traffic, Parking Enforcement, Airport, Bike Patrol, Tac Team, ERT, Bomb Squad etc. City Radios are programmed with Talk groups, and each talk group can have up to 16 channels. I can get you an approximate number of how many channels and talk groups there are total but each division has 1 channel. The radios can have dozens or more talk groups depending on the officers assignment. They have can have channels or talk groups for special events, mutual aid channels, OHP Metro, OHP Rural, neighboring agencies, etc. Units can have their own channel or talk groups, and what is on each individual radio is all determined by the radio "personality" or profile. An officers assignment dictates what personality they get. Patrol wont get Tac Team channels, or Bomb squad, Crim intel channels etc. Those types of channels require command authorization. Speaking of tac team, they carry DD MK18's and they as well as any officer, is now authorized to carry the Staccato. They also have this now...

https://therook.ringpower.com/

I bow to your superior knowledge! Dang! I'm impressed. All I knew about any of this was just the absolute bare basics. I'd have to go to school just to learn how to work the danged radio in the car!

 

[bigfug]

I bow to your superior knowledge! Dang! I'm impressed. All I knew about any of this was just the absolute bare basics. I'd have to go to school just to learn how to work the danged radio in the car!

It helps that its part of my job , nothing superior here . I work in IT, actually for Public Safety. It actually says Radio Shop on the front of my building, and theres a big tower out there too. My shop is responsible for the radio system and all the radios for most agencies, as well as 100 other things I know some of the basics and generalities, and deal with them on the daily but guys much smarter and experienced than me do all the technical radio stuff. I do more of the IT/tech stuff, and supervisory, project type stuff.

 

[THAT Gurl]

It helps that its part of my job , nothing superior here . I work in IT, actually for Public Safety. It actually says Radio Shop on the front of my building, and theres a big tower out there too. My shop is responsible for the radio system and all the radios for most agencies, as well as 100 other things I know some of the basics and generalities, and deal with them on the daily but guys much smarter and experienced than me do all the technical radio stuff. I do more of the IT/tech stuff, and supervisory, project type stuff.

I thought I remembered you saying that a LONG time ago but I've slept since then. OMG -- I just thought about something ... You realize we have been fussing and kicking cans a LONG time here?!?!? Jeez!! I think we maybe ... Gasp ... GETTING OLD!!

 

[p238shooter]

I use a free app "Scanner Radio" downloaded to my android phone. Has quite a bit of larger areas nationwide. .You can view it to read about it at Scanner Radio - Police Scanner - Apps on Google Play