On Fri, 18 May 2007 08:41:20 -0400, "Mindraker" wrote:


"zorba" wrote in message
roups.com...
Abilene Reporter News

Abilene police and fire departments recently ditched an 18-year-old
dispatch system for a new $14 million system that has better
encryption capabilities and keeps many of the conversations people
using police scanners are accustomed to hearing off the air. Police
and fire officials began using the new system this month.

Copyright 2007, Abilene Reporter News. All Rights Reserved.

If the police can encrypt, then private citizens should be able to encrypt
with HAM radio, too. Oh? Oh? Don't like that, police? Then don't encrypt
your radio. There is something called "public records".


the times have changed and so have requirements for public service
radio systems. the FBI now requires ALL local police agencies that
use
NCIC ( all police departments nowadays ) to have their MDT style
systems encrypted. it's not optional , it's federal law. homeland
defense wants ALL police agency radios to be compatible with their
own encrypted national radio systems , in all departments nationwide.
it's not law yet, but it's in the works. they strongly feel that local
police should be encrypted to keep terrorists from eavesdropping.
their work is compromised if a local unencrypted police department
is revealing all their activities in an coordinated emergency
response event. ( that's their excuse anyway )

my local police departments have used 150mhz and 450 mhz
repeaters ( not trunked ) for a couple of decades. ALL local police
departments are deep into the process of switching to their already up
and running city wide wifi network for BOTH mdt data AND voice.
there is NO way to eavesdrop on encrypted wifi at the present time.

get used to it ..... change happens all the time and this is a strong
era of change for the scanning hobbyist. you will have to learn to
adapt to the change or just plain give up the hobby ( or what's left
of it ) ........ no one in the federal government and especially local
police departments cares if you think you have rights to listen in on
them or not. they never liked it in the old days and they are
gleeful that the time is coming that no one will be able to eavesdrop.
more and more, the police think it's them ( the boys in blue ) against
all the rest of us. citizens shouldn't be allowed to own guns and
citizens shouldn't be privileged to the inner workings of police
activities out in the streets. it's all for their own safety and
protection . I love scanning, but tell you the truth , they are
probably right ..........



k