Posted on 08/27/2010 9:15:48 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
INDIANAPOLIS --
Dozens of illicit radios were ordered removed from Indianapolis police cars after ham radio operators complained about the language officers used on radio frequencies they aren't supposed to be utilizing.
Hundreds of police officers used what they called a second radio to talk to other officers, but those radios don't have federal authorization, 6News' Jack Rinehart reported.
Officers sometimes used the extra radios for officials business, but they were also used for personal communication and biting, sometimes profane commentary about their workday.
"I've heard, basically, obscenities," said a ham radio operator who didn't want to be identified. "I've heard comments about private citizens, in general."
"I'm locking that guy up. I'll write a report, and that way, she'll want to report his a** anyway," an officer said in a conversation that the ham operator had recorded.
"F*** it, ha ha ha," exclaimed another officer.
Ham operators who found the language offensive reported it to the Federal Communications Commission, prompting the department to do a three-day inspection of cruisers and ordering everyone with an unlicensed radio to remove it.
"Apparently, there has been a problem with some language, which is a violation of the FCC regulations," said Indianapolis police Lt. Jeff Duhamell. "The chief has decided that the officers should pull them out of their vehicles."
(Excerpt) Read more at officer.com ...
Profanity isn’t the only problem here ... it is illegal to transmit in the ham bands if you don’t have a license to do so, even if you don’t use profanity. So, do these cops get all bent out of shape if someone carries a gun without a license, or drives a car without a license? Same thing - except on the other side of their badges, I suppose.
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Correct. Appropriate license required for the Ham band operated. Ham transmitters/transceivers cannot legally be used out of Ham bands, they are not type accepted for commercial or LEO frequencies. It is required that the operator identify with his call sign at the beginning and at each 10 minutes of operation. And other "minor stuff".
Do as they say, not as they do...
In fact law enforcement has arrested people for illegally using Ham radios without licenses. Pirate radio and the like.
Ping
I guess we have moved on from Neil Smith, may he rest in peace.
Record the conversations and bust them.
$7000 fine per violation (profanity)
There was a time when the FCC had enforcement people. Now that is focused on the commercial side, where the money is.
The Ham bands are largely self-policed. And I might add that has worked pretty well. An inexperienced operator sticks out like a sore thumb.
I first sat before a FCC examiner in the Federal Building on Commerce Street in Downtown Dallas in 1976. Things were a bit different than they are now. My extra class and my commercial license came later.
Until recent years so many hams were either trained in or served in the military that you were hard pressed to find a Liberal amoung their ranks. I ran a Navy MARS station out of my home and from my car for 19+ years. Many of my friends when I lived in NM worked in the Labs or Military bases. I miss that crowd, good techies.
Of course, I'm not accusing LE of anything untoward, because they never do anything like that - you know, break the law to protect each other, and stuff.
Don’t do as I do-—Do as I tell you
Well until them cops stop locking up folks based on lies and go find the real killer not much else we can do now is there...
Well, Mr. Alexander can join O.J. in the hunt for the real killers then. For there is no indication the cops or the DA or the courts knew the witness was lying. You don't know what other evidence was presented in court.
This is why you probably pinged me over to this thread having been depantsed on the last one. For those on this thread who don't know about the deceased...
““ANd you seem to miss the glaring point that he was “convicted” on nothing more than perjured testimony...”
“That might be at the link I told you I couldn’t access, but from the story here your statement isn’t accurate. It doesn’t say that:
“ He got his freedom now he wants his compensation for what happened on a rural stretch of road in 1988. He was arrested for running over a guy named Neil Smith after the two argued. Word was he ran over him and left him to die. Alexander was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison but a key witness later admitted she lied. After 6 years in prison, a judge finally threw out Alexander’s conviction.”
There is no indication in the story of any other evidence submitted from forensic evidence to other statements. What can be inferred is that a new trial was called for because a “key witness” lied. That meant the whole trial was tainted. It doesn’t mean the rest of the evidence was bad and there is no indication the cops or D.A. did anything wrong.
All the rest is your blinding hatred of cops which, I’m sure you remember, we have covered countless times before.
You aren’t rational on this topic.”
From “Man Wrongly Convicted Wants Pay” Which now reading the title is misleading. None of which will stop you as you go on to the next cop hating post without slowing and without medication or counseling.
Got my first phone in ‘65. The license category doesn’t even exist any more.
I note the story mentioned a ham radio operator hearing them, but the excerpt didn’t say they were on ham bands. Lots of wide band receivers on ham gear these days. Could these guys have been on some of the UHF non-licensed, or the business band frequencies? Those things are readily available and there’s lots of unlicensed traffic on them.
I was wondering if they were using something like GMRS radios. Ham gear’s not that cheap, but if they’re carrying around FRS or GMRS radios to “shoot the breeze” on, that makes a little more sense. The phrase “removed from Indianapolis police cars” seems to imply mobiles and not HTs though, which leans more toward 2m/70cm ham or business band.
Had my ticket since 1992. I came in as one of those evil nasty no-code Techs that were supposed to ruin the hobby. :) Now I have an Advanced class (yes, my license category doesn’t exist anymore either, but the ticket still says “Advanced” until I renew it in a couple years) and may go for Extra someday. I haven’t been active in years though.
}:-)4
I know at one time many of my LEO friends carried Nextel phones. Later on a directive came down prohibiting their use. Seems that the officers prefered to use the Nextel direct-connect feature to communicate laterally with other patrolmen rather than across the usual Comm nets — which are recorded.
I’m sure that it all started out rather innocently. Just more efficient. “Hey buddy can you cover for me” type stuff. Of course the potential for misuse is evident.
Got involved in a minor traffic stop about 6 months ago. The local cop actually had a mini-video cam clipped onto his uniform and was recording the entire stop. Between the cameras in the car & on their person, and the recording of their comm nets, you have to wonder about the stress levels involved in policing these days.
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That's a fact! Reminds me of he time an "ebo-guy" in the Dallas area stole a ham's car, and then got on the installed 2 meter rig and started doing the CB "10-4, good buddy" bit. He came up on the 2M repeater at Howe (Sherman), and we played his silly game to string him along.
One of the hams complemented him on his "fine-soundin' rig" and said he was really "gettin' out" -- so the dummy started setting up a sales deal. While a couple of guys kept him busy, several of us in the Sherman area got on various Dallas area repeaters and got the local Dallas hams into the act.
The sap had no idea there were eventually over 100 hams on 52 simplex and other repeater-pair frequencies coordinating his takedown and talking to the LEOs via 'phone -- while he was yakkin' it up with us on "his" new "CB"!!
The idiot picked a location on Oak Lawn, and started talking his "buyer" in to his location for the "sale". By the time the Dallas PD Auto theft guys arrived, we had the dummy surrounded by so many 2M-equipped cars that he couldn't budge an inch -- or even open the doors on "his" stolen car. LOL!!!
Yeah, lots of unknowns. Does “remove” mean “uninstall”, or “take out”?
I carried that commercial license for all these years, then joined the ranks of “those evil no-coders” in 08. Made the move to General shortly thereafter. I’m still active locally, primarily VHF and UHF with a little HF. We have an active 2 meter SSB group that’s kind of an extended family.
73’s
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