Police scanners under review

[Stretch]

Wish the media would actually have realistic titles.


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[rochedalescan]

Was only a matter of time really .. if they already have that system in place in metro area's it wouldn't take much to roll it out to the rest.

[AIRMAN]

This is starting again. The loony left with their ideals about who should NOT be allowed to have access to law enforcement or emergency services. It reared its ugly head about 30 years ago and never got anywhere. General duty Police with an anti-scanner attitude don't want ordinary folks to hear what the police channels. Now we have the political grandstanding where the issue of scanners is now once again brought to fore because of all the media hype overseas about phone hacking. The modern cellular phone is capable of getting emergency information as well, as already been mentioned here.

Now they want to digitize all radio transmissions because a few local coppers in Ballarat get prickly about conversations that can be monitored? Has anyone here been to Ballarat? I have traveled to many parts of this planet, but nothing compares to Ballarat. For reasons I will not mention here, I did go there on government business. I vowed never to return. I was not a boat person or refugee, an alien, Indian or or an Islamic, yet I was treated like one in the worst possible way. Why? Because I was not Australian by birth, didn't follow or understand their 'religion' of football and to cap it off, I was from Queensland! The people I had to deal with there were so narrow minded it was beyond comprehension. I wasn't certain if the rest of the state was like that, but I hoped not.

Creating a fully encrypted digital police network will cost the Victorian taxpayer millions $. Their media will find it will backfire on them as they will not immediately know of any newsworthy jobs in their area.

There are some law enforcement activities that should be encrypted. Drug Squad in particular and a few others like the 'men in black' as well, but general policing with dispatching about road traffic crashes and other day to day stuff should IMO remain analog. If there is information that may be sensitive, most patrols have cellphones. When I lived and worked in the USA, I found very few State or City police used digitally encrypted radios. Those that did were Drug enforcement and special operation units. I also found the Police to be very professional in all States I traveled through. They have a completely different outlook about persons who monitor emergency bands. They actually believe most scanner users have good intent. Yes, there are a few who are morons, but they are a minority and the Police soon get to know who the idiots are and confiscate their radios.

Unfortunately in this country, parochialism and attitudes towards the public by shiny bums in the police payroll are getting out of hand.

The control of the public by creating laws that ban the freedom of an individual seem to be increasing steadily. New laws to ban the use of gaming machines or restrict their use is a prime example.

I agree with Stretch..... the term 'Police Scanner' is a complete misnomer which the media have used to give the impression that all citizens who own a scanning receiver listen to nothing but police dispatches with intent to disrupt society or commit crime. I heard one senior police member tell a press conference that if owning a scanner was made illegal, then they wouldn't have to worry about what they said on air. I reminded him that he did work for a service to the public not some covert government department like ASIO.

End of Rant.

[wombat tow]

i find it ironic that they carry on about not listening to the police channels but here they are giving the media access to the channel feeds which they run through a computer program similar to the pdw system where they can filter out the shit from real news worthy stuff that we should hear

[leniboy]

I think what may be underlining some of the heat of this issue from the public is the fact that so much personal information is currently being heard by anyone with a scanner that can be had for fairly cheap funds. To us scanner/swl fans it may be ok but I guess I can understand the perception people who are totally removed from the hobby may hold to. My wife used to call me an eavesdropper when she first became aware of what I was listening to but she understands it now. What she doesn't understand is why I have to have some many radios to do it!

Never mind that we can also listen to Airband, couriers, commercial operators, marine etc etc and enjoy it in a totally harmless way. I often listen to the cops for some amusement but for me the thrill of the chase is in finding new frequencies and chasing some distant operators.

This issue comes up every few years and seems to get beaten down in one way or another though I suspect with the increasing number of operators going digital with encryption something is being done about it.

[AIRMAN]

I often listen to the cops for some amusement but for me the thrill of the chase is in finding new frequencies and chasing some distant operators.

I absolutely agree!

[TahiiNZ]

This is starting again. The loony left with their ideals about who should NOT be allowed to have access to law enforcement or emergency services.

Etc.

You damn Aussies don't have a clue how good you have it.

You are allowed to rebroadcast what you hear.

You have the right to talk about what you hear, with anyone you like.

Here in NZ, we cannot repeat, or pass on details about what we hear on air. This could be a Police event, or even something on a local company channel. This is why there are no (or should be no) RadioReference live feeds for NZ.

Even if our Police system wasn't going digital, there's no way we can talk about what we hear anyway.

Be greatful for what you can go, rathern than spiteful that your "rights" are being affected. Remember, one swipe of the pen at govt level and it can all go away.

[mstrkrft]

i find it ironic that they carry on about not listening to the police channels but here they are giving the media access to the channel feeds which they run through a computer program similar to the pdw system where they can filter out the shit from real news worthy stuff that we should hear

The media have been fighting against digital encryption since day dot.. Even had a inquiry into it in Brisbane but the government rallied against us and won.. That program you talk about is called MATCAD and is the most useless program on the planet.. We don't get ANY useful information off it EVER.. it just legally gets QPS out of giving any information... In fact QPS media don't even like sending us releases anymore they prefer to 'tweet' or Facebook post things.. It's an absolute joke! There is no check and balance for the QPS anymore.. They just look after themselves and only let the public know what they want them to know

Phew! a lot of venting on this thread haha

[TahiiNZ]

I understand we have a similar system here in NZ, whereas journalists used to listen to scanners for hints on whats going on, now they have a computer screen straight out of the dispatch software, with edited details of whats going on where. Here in NZ, due to the Official Information Act, ANY person can request (and not be reasonably denied) access to this system, journalist or not, but what you see is edited. Apparently in the early days, journalists got really excited over it, seeing 1S after 1S (sudden death) logged into the system, and started calling Police for details. What they found, was that it was people in rest homes keeling over (all deaths, where not in a hospital, must be reported to Police, and a sudden death job logged).

[AIRMAN]

This bears no real relevance to what we are referring to about monitoring emergency services.

I have been reliably informed that ALL emergency services WILL become encrypted. That includes firies, ambulance and police voice traffic. The big question is WHEN?

In the UK and Europe all of these bands are encrypted. Encrypted means no scanner today can monitor their voice traffic. Its been this way for quite a few years over there as well.

Scanner listeners in the UK and EU have only aircraft and ships and Hams to listen to.

Be thankful for the time ahead when we can appreciate listening in to EM in OZ. It may be curtailed depending on which government comes to power at the next election.

[Phil]

Airman,

you are slightly wrong about the UK and Europe part there mate, we do not know if they are using any Encryption on there Tetra Network, you are correct at present there is no scanner able to listen to the Tetra channels however at present GRE have brought out a scanner that allows them to listen to both FDMA and TDMA channels.

[AIRMAN]

GRE have brought out a scanner that allows them to listen to both FDMA and TDMA channels.

So does this GRE scanner decrypt TETRA? I think not.

Here's a quote from a friend of mine's email he sent me just 3 days ago. He lives in the UK:

Over the last 5 years, all the Police, Fire & Ambulance services in the UK have migrated to a digital encrypted system known as TETRA (Terrestrial European Trunked RAdio). It’s across the EU and no scanner available can read the system. It’s a big loss to the many enthusiasts, like me, who enjoyed listening in, but it’s history now. We just have Airtraffic, Marine & Amateurs to listen to....

I don't know if Australia will follow the UK and EU or adopt the State by State configs of the USA. I rather hope they go with the USA otherwise we can kiss goodbye to the analog scanner by the next decade.

[Comint]

system known as TETRA (Terrestrial European Trunked RAdio).

Sorry to "nit pick", but he has two different Time Lines mixed up there.

When TETRA was first developed, it was known as Trans European Trunked RAdio, as it was only intended to be used across the EU (European Union) countries. However, when it took off around the world, it was changed to TErrestrial Trunked RAdio.

--
Comint

[AIRMAN]

He didn't mention about it 'taking off around the world' Comint, just the UK and EU.

From his POV, the ability to monitor EM is not possible.

[Comint]

He didn't mention about it 'taking off around the world' Comint, just the UK and EU.

From his POV, the ability to monitor EM is not possible.

What I was trying to point out, is that there is NOT, and NEVER has been, such a thing known as:-

Terrestrial European Trunked RAdio

--
Comint

[AIRMAN]

I rest my case:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrestrial_Trunked_Radio

[Comint]

I rest my case:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrestrial_Trunked_Radio

That just confirms what I have been saying. Thanks.

--
Comint

[Stretch]

Airman I think you may have missed the first line when reading it.

Terrestrial Trunked Radio[1] (TETRA) (formerly known as Trans-European Trunked Radio)

[AIRMAN]

Hey Stretch,

There's a few things I miss at my age.

[Stretch]

There's no problems haha. I just read it then tried to figure out where everyone was getting confused and was like hang on a second and even I had to re-read it.

Mitch