RSO gone digital :-(

[cvrules90]

I always thought that car to car was a channel the officers used after they got a call to talk about it en route. Generally, I say it IS private (to some extent) because it doesn't use up the dispatch channel and only those two officers who have switched channels know what they said. Unless of course some cop doesn't have the prettiest idea and mistakenly changes channels not knowing full department policy.

[CQPSK]

I always thought that car to car was a channel the officers used after they got a call to talk about it en route. Generally, I say it IS private (to some extent) because it doesn't use up the dispatch channel and only those two officers who have switched channels know what they said. Unless of course some cop doesn't have the prettiest idea and mistakenly changes channels not knowing full department policy.

In my experience listening to and operating radios systems in the Inland Empire for over 25 years, there seems to be very little "discussing details of the call en route" though it happens occasionally. If there is discussion about the call, it's usually something pretty vague like "hey, be careful that guy likes to fight" or "I'm coming from here or there so I'll be extended" or something like that. Typically when officers switch to the car to car channel, a lot of other officers (and hobbyists) follow the conversation (as well as dispatch in many situations) and I don't think anyone expects privacy there and everybody knows people have likely followed them over to the car to car channel to listen. If they want privacy they will use the MDT or cellphone. The purpose of "car to car" is typically to not tie up airtime on primary rather than privacy, at least in my experience. I remember the Radio Shack in La Sierra would play RPD CH4 on a loudspeaker outside the store to demo their scanners, but would not play the primary channel because they were afraid if they had to hit the silent alarm or call for service it would give the bad guys a "heads up" so they played the car to car channel to demonstrate how their scanners worked.

Typically information on a car to car channel is not going to benefit a criminal much, because the call has already been dispatched on primary and people's names and dates of birth aren't being broadcast there for ID theft purposes. Even in encrypted systems, typically all traffic that goes through the system is recorded wether it's car to car or not and it is common practice in law enforcement organizations for other officers on duty in the area to follow a conversation onto a car to car channel. Again, if privacy is a concern, officers will individual call the other unit, use the cellphone, or send MDT messages.

I'll reiterate what has been previously discussed here in that I think the "live feeds" have really contributed to the increased desire to use encryption. When many folks in the law enforcement community saw that the streaming was going on, the majority of them I know were not pleased with knowing now that any old dumb burglar was only a click away from being alerted they were on the way by using his smartphone. That, coupled with the fact newer digital technology makes the use of encryption easier to do with no degredation of range or voice quality contributes to more prolific use.

[cvrules90]

It's not the live feeds themselves I'd say. Rather, it's the fact that anyone can download an app on a smartphone and listen so even if they can't afford a high-end scanner, they can find out by listening to the police channel(s) when the 5-0 will show up. That's why the RS didn't broadcast the dispatch channel but rather a secondary one in fear that a crook who holds it up will run for his life when he hears the broadcast of an alarm or holdup at the store.

[CQPSK]

BULLSEYE!