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Maybe not the right place to write this, but while on patrol, are RSO deputies allowed to listen to music? I know this sounds wierd but I know some police cars have radios/cd players installed in them so I'm just wondering if it's acceptable.

And sorry if in the wrong place.

I wouldn't say it is "allowed" as there is a general order that says your are supposed to pay full attention to your job. I could envision times when it would be questioned as to whether the deputy was listening to music, like in a T/C. But every county vehicle I can think of that I have driven (unit, transportation van, fleet car) has had a AM/FM radio in it. The only time I ever turned it on was transporting inmates to amuse them on long trips. For other agencies I have worked for, it comes in handy on long, cold, boring grave yard shifts on patrol.

sp1989 wrote:I wouldn't say it is "allowed" as there is a general order that says your are supposed to pay full attention to your job. I could envision times when it would be questioned as to whether the deputy was listening to music, like in a T/C. But every county vehicle I can think of that I have driven (unit, transportation van, fleet car) has had a AM/FM radio in it. The only time I ever turned it on was transporting inmates to amuse them on long trips. For other agencies I have worked for, it comes in handy on long, cold, boring grave yard shifts on patrol.

Depending on what part of the county, it gets cold during the night shift in the winter. Although summer nights generally don't make below the 60-degree mark (or the 80 or so degree mark if you're in the desert area). Personally, I would think you CAN listen to whatever you want, as long as it doesn't interfere with monitoring your local station's dispatch channel.

The rules at RSO are very "fluid" as one worthless chief deputy likes to say. Trust me, I know....

sp1989 wrote:I wouldn't say it is "allowed" as there is a general order that says your are supposed to pay full attention to your job. I could envision times when it would be questioned as to whether the deputy was listening to music, like in a T/C. But every county vehicle I can think of that I have driven (unit, transportation van, fleet car) has had a AM/FM radio in it. The only time I ever turned it on was transporting inmates to amuse them on long trips. For other agencies I have worked for, it comes in handy on long, cold, boring grave yard shifts on patrol.

And what exactly is a T/C?

Traffic collision. Sorry, using police jargon isn't cool, but I figured radio people here would know what is, my bad. Old habits die hard, ya know.

cvrules90 wrote:Personally, I would think you CAN listen to whatever you want, as long as it doesn't interfere with monitoring your local station's dispatch channel.

No department is going to officially condone listening to anything but department radio traffic. That said, what is officially allowed, and what actually happens can be miles apart.

Music would be considered entetainment, but many LEO's still listen to a scanner to keep up on neighboring P/S incidents.

I used to occasionally listen to the AM/ FM radio for local traffic reports to avoid the heavily congested areas.

<>< Mike

But I would think the EDACS radios were compatible of Scan mode.

EDACS mobiles do have a scan function, but patrol units are also equipped with scanners. You can't scan RPD on UHF with an 800 mHz trunked rafio, can you.