Good afternoon, everyone, it's 3:22pm. I'm having a bad day. I'm just frustrated about SO many things right now. I have to take tomorrow off from school to run some important errands that involve fixing this community. Here's crime for this afternoon and evening.
5:55pm - I need to make a phone call. I'll be back real soon.
5:57pm - Got no answer, so I'm back.
5:59 to 6:00pm - My call was answered.
6:36pm - I have to go eat. I will be back.
6:52pm - I'm back.
6:57pm - Gang disturbance. 2300 block of N Springfield. There's a group hanging out on the block.
7:02pm - There's no one on Springfield, at either Fullerton or Belden.
7:04pm - Assault. 2947 N Avers. Drunk guy's trying to kick the door down.
8:32pm - Theft. 4183 W Nelson.
8:35pm - Disturbance. 1627 N Pulaski.
8:59pm - Be honest, guys. Is me listening into the police scanner illegal, or does it feel illegal? I'm so sick of people throwing FCC laws in my face about this topic. I'm about to burst because of it. I'm considering just ending this blog, and stopping all of my involvement in the community. What's the point?? You get nothing but lazy asses or people screaming at you. I don't need that, either. I could be involved with school activities, but no, I rush home to listen to the scanner, for all of you. Because I care about the community. But if I hear ANYTHING one more time about the FCC laws, I'm just going to shut my scanner off, throw it out the window and never listen again. Ever. I'm really close to just sticking up the middle finger at all of you. You complain about crime one minute, but can't stand it that I'm listening in. Which one is it going to be?!!? With that, I'M OUT FOR TONIGHT. Screw this!
24 comments:
Like your site! Keep up the great work!
http://www.chicagoscanner.com/
1733 N Spaulding domestic...drunk woman says her husband and daughter are fighting with her...
what is a slow down?
Not illegal to listen to a scanner, don't listen to the haters. They just want to be dicks. Screw them! Keep posting!
It is illegal to listen to a scanner while commiting a crime in some US States.
It is illegal to have/listen to a scanner if you have been convicted of 1 or more
felonies during the preceding 5 years in some US States.
scannerbuddy.com
General questions about Police Scanners
Is it Legal to Listen to a Police Scanner?
If you live in a large city or even a small town, you have probably heard the sirens and seen the flashing lights of police cars or fire trucks as they passed you by. You have probably wondered where they were going, and if it is possible for you to track them. Using a police scanner, you can track where they are going and it is legal to use.
A scanner is basically a type of radio receiver that can scan a variety of different frequencies. Older models only receive one frequency at a time, while the newer models can support multiple frequencies. Scanners which can process multiple frequencies are much more efficient. They are used by many people, including spies, hobbyist, or even lawyers.
With advanced scanners, frequencies can be saved and reviewed at a later time. Many frequencies are now available on the internet or can be searched for using newer radios. When someone calls the police or dials 911, the call will be answered by a dispatcher who will notify the police. They will tell the police the location of the incident, and they will report there.
Someone listening in on a police scanner will be able to hear the entire conversation, even when the police are headed to the potential crime scene. They will often report back to the dispatcher, and the person using the scanner will be able to hear everything. There are both advantages and disadvantages to this.
While police scanners are legal, they do have a bit of a mixed reaction from the law enforcement community. Some believe that police scanners allow citizens to exercise their rights and protect their liberties. Police or other law enforcement who are involved in illegal activities could be liable if their actions were recorded using a scanner.
Scanners are cheaply available in stores to purchase, though the Congress recently passed a law stopping scanners from being purchased in the US which can tune in at 800 Mhz. The effect of this law is debated because most cell phone companies no longer use analog technology. Many police have chosen to protect their frequencies by encrypting them.
While it is legal to use police scanners in the US, the United Kingdom and France prohibit citizens from using any scanner which listens to anything other than normal radio broadcasts. In Canada, citizens are allowed to monitor frequencies, but it is against the law to disclose the information, though how this is enforced remains to be seen.
General questions about Police Scanners
Is it Legal to Listen to a Police Scanner?
If you live in a large city or even a small town, you have probably heard the sirens and seen the flashing lights of police cars or fire trucks as they passed you by. You have probably wondered where they were going, and if it is possible for you to track them. Using a police scanner, you can track where they are going and it is legal to use.
A scanner is basically a type of radio receiver that can scan a variety of different frequencies. Older models only receive one frequency at a time, while the newer models can support multiple frequencies. Scanners which can process multiple frequencies are much more efficient. They are used by many people, including spies, hobbyist, or even lawyers.
With advanced scanners, frequencies can be saved and reviewed at a later time. Many frequencies are now available on the internet or can be searched for using newer radios. When someone calls the police or dials 911, the call will be answered by a dispatcher who will notify the police. They will tell the police the location of the incident, and they will report there.
Someone listening in on a police scanner will be able to hear the entire conversation, even when the police are headed to the potential crime scene. They will often report back to the dispatcher, and the person using the scanner will be able to hear everything. There are both advantages and disadvantages to this.
While police scanners are legal, they do have a bit of a mixed reaction from the law enforcement community. Some believe that police scanners allow citizens to exercise their rights and protect their liberties. Police or other law enforcement who are involved in illegal activities could be liable if their actions were recorded using a scanner.
Scanners are cheaply available in stores to purchase, though the Congress recently passed a law stopping scanners from being purchased in the US which can tune in at 800 Mhz. The effect of this law is debated because most cell phone companies no longer use analog technology. Many police have chosen to protect their frequencies by encrypting them.
Hey dude. You contribute more to the well-being of the community than any of the idiots trying to get you to quit. Stay with it.
Didn't realize so many people were criticizing you for this blog. But I, for one, think it's fantastic and of terrific benefit to our community. I love being able to check in and read a single summary of hours worth of scanner activity.
But you have to make the call. If its getting to you and especially if its starting to interfere with schoolwork, then just walk away. No one can blame you. You've done a great job up to this point and we appreciate it.
Man F*** all those B******* haterz who trying to pull a good/respectful/ and caring person down. I'm 17 I go to school too, I be out in these streets so much that I feel like a gangbanger myself lol...I know ALOT of them too..but im not one of them and for once I find people who cares and use their time to look out in our community. So to me it's FUCK them fools (excuse my language everyone) is just that knowning that people who cares about our community are being threatend and disrespected at makes me wanna smash their faces into the concrete and make them feel reality.
PS: Love your website, it's an awesome page. I knew alot people who their accidents/fights/or problems were posted in this website. Keep it up. =]
Thanks, anonymous 8:27.
Anonymous 9:08, a slow down is when an officer gets on the scene of a call, and literally tells other officers coming, to slow down (no lights/sirens).
Anonymous 9:39, thanks for the comment, man. I appreciate it. I really think I'm gonna stick to do what do.
Anonymous 9:41, I had the same exact reaction to all of this. It's like, "God, what am I doing that's so wrong?". All I'm trying to do is keep everyone informed, and to keep everyone safe. About the schoolwork, I have to admit, I have gotten very close to that feeling. Not only am I doing the schoolwork and doing this blog, but I am also in charge of a block club, and I may be getting a part-time job soon. You're right, if it does get to be too much, then I will walk away.
Listening is NOT illegal, it is when you share what you hear that you have broken the laws related to listening.
You may use what you hear to write a news story, you may use what you hear to obtain technical knowledge about radio communications, you may only share what you hear with a Police Officer or other emergency responder who has a need to know.
The only rule under Federal Law is that you keep what you hear to yourself. If there are those who want to listen in, but cannot afford a scanner, please go to: http://www.radioreference.com and listen in on their FREE audio feed.
Hey Timmy,
Please don't give up this site. The first week I moved to this neighborhood someone criminally damaged my house and I went searching on the web for crime stats about Avondale. I found your blog and three years later I'm still an avid reader.
The price you will pay for speaking your mind and become a more popular blog will always be a dissenting voice. You need to ignore those comments and just keep doing what you believe in.
I hope you don't let these comments dissuade you from your passion for keeping your community safe. You are too valuable to our neighborhood to just give up. You have a strong character and need to hold your ground.
Again as always, thank you for being the most important reporter of information in the Logan Square and Avondale neighborhood.
Y
Anonymous 12:07, then why am I being jumped on for it? News reporters are doing the same damn thing when they report stories. They're listening in, and disclosing information. So why am I being jumped on for it?
Hi Nobody. It's getting to the point where I've got people throwing up FCC laws in my face about listening in. And they're telling me I can get criminally prosecuted for it, which I'm not trying to have happen to me. I think it's just best if I moved on, and get involved with something else.
Anon 12:07 is a dick. Nothing about what you have been doing is illegal in any way shape or form. The police no what you are doing, have they ever told you it is illegal? These people are just trying to screw with your mind. Please tell this "Dan" guy that if he doesn't like your site to fuck off, or better yet, if any of these people had the balls to post publicly and let their shitty blogs or random internet activity to be public, attack them! It really annoys the shit out of me to know that their are people so low in this world that they troll the fucking internet just to sound off about anything and everything that bothers them and will say whatever they want because they get to hide behind their computer. I personally hope you keep posting but I can also understand if you stop. Dealing with assholes gets old fast. To the rest of you- grow a fucking spine and find something better to do with your life than pick on a fucking high school kid over the internet, it's disgraceful.
Later on Timmy
I've lived in Kelvyn Park for 3 years and have always wondered what goes on in my 'hood while I'm at work or even when I'm safely inside my house -- your blog has been a really valuable service, as it helps me "keep an eye" on what the local shitheads are doing without actually having to walk around or drive around myself.
I can understand the frustration of doing all this work only to have some random idiots criticize you for it, so let me be a random commenter who's telling you you're doing a great job.
Hey Timmy,
There is nothing more important than to go to school so that you can help your community in the near future. This blog should be a hobby for you at this time. Feel free to walk away if you feel you need to. School should be your priority. A part time job sounds great at your age as well. Just remember that there are perfectly healthy people your age who do nothing at all and don't seem to care about it, especially in Logan Square as you and I know living in this area. That's not normal. It is normal to question your life every now and then like your are now. It shows you are human and don't take your life for granted.
Thank you for all the information you have provided and I hope you continue to provide. Remember, this should be a hobby so relax, listen to the scanner and type away! ;)
p.s. again, please ignore all those ignorant comments. Those people are the ones wasting away, so let them be.
It is definitely not illegal to listen.
If you are feeling worried about this, I think you have a good enough reputation that someone at a CAPS meeting would help you.
As for Anon12.07, have them reference the statute they think forbids this.
Keep it up. You're doing a great duty for the community.
Timmy, please don't shut down your blog. I can understand wanting to scale back. Maybe you can switch to only posting violent crimes.
Please know that many many Logan Square residents rely on your posts!
Timmy, You did a great service to the community, although your time is ending and you're moving on I'm sure there are a lot of people that appreciated what you did. I hope you have great success in the future.
Anon at October 6, 2010 1:44:00 PM CDT requested a showing of the law, so here it is:
http://www.justice.gov/criminal/cybercrime/47usc605.htm
http://www.justice.gov/criminal/cybercrime/wiretap2510_2522.htm
Except as authorized by chapter 119, Title 18, no person receiving, assisting in receiving, transmitting, or assisting in transmitting, any interstate or foreign communication by wire or radio shall divulge or publish the existence, contents, substance, purport, effect, or meaning thereof, except through authorized channels of transmission or reception,......
(g) It shall not be unlawful under this chapter or chapter 121 of this title for any person--
(i) to intercept or access an electronic communication made through an electronic communication system that is configured so that such electronic communication is readily accessible to the general public;
(ii) to intercept any radio communication which is transmitted--
(I) by any station for the use of the general public, or that relates to ships, aircraft, vehicles, or persons in distress;
(II) by any governmental, law enforcement, civil defense, private land mobile, or public safety communications system, including police and fire, readily accessible to the general public;
(III) by a station operating on an authorized frequency within the bands allocated to the amateur, citizens band, or general mobile radio services; or
(IV) by any marine or aeronautical communications system;
(iii) to engage in any conduct which--
(I) is prohibited by section 633 of the Communications Act of 1934; or
(II) is excepted from the application of section 705(a) of the Communications Act of 1934 by section 705(b) of that Act;
(iv) to intercept any wire or electronic communication the transmission of which is causing harmful interference to any lawfully operating station or consumer electronic equipment, to the extent necessary to identify the source of such interference; or
(v) for other users of the same frequency to intercept any radio communication made through a system that utilizes frequencies monitored by individuals engaged in the provision or the use of such system, if such communication is not scrambled or encrypted.
Chapter 119, Title 18 § 2510 defines what "readily accessible to the general public" means as shown below:
(16) "readily accessible to the general public" means, with respect to a radio communication, that such communication is not--
(A) scrambled or encrypted;
(B) transmitted using modulation techniques whose essential parameters have been withheld from the public with the intention of preserving the privacy of such communication;
(C) carried on a subcarrier or other signal subsidiary to a radio transmission;
(D) transmitted over a communication system provided by a common carrier, unless the communication is a tone only paging system communication; or
(E) transmitted on frequencies allocated under part 25, subpart D, E, or F of part 74, or part 94 of the Rules of the Federal Communications Commission, unless, in the case of a communication transmitted on a frequency allocated under part 74 that is not exclusively allocated to broadcast auxiliary services, the communication is a two-way voice communication by radio;
Anon at October 6, 2010 1:44:00 PM CDT requested links to the Federal statutes in question:
Links from the U.S. Department of Justice to the laws in question below...
http://www.justice.gov/criminal/cybercrime/47usc605.htm
http://www.justice.gov/criminal/cybercrime/wiretap2510_2522.htm
Timmy, I know exactly how you feel!!!! I get hate mail, too. I stopped listening to my scanner for a while, because I honestly felt no one gave a damn about what I was reporting. And some of the stuff going on, was a bit depression.
Ultimately, you have to do what makes you happy. If you enjoy listening and reporting, keep doing it.
And to answer your question, it is not illegal to listen to a police scanner and report what you heard.
There are some Chicago cops that don't want to be "monitored" by citizens. And we all know why.
JCON, thanks for the support. Yes, the police know what I'm doing, and I have heard that they support it. I did basically tell "Dan" that. If those people did put their blogs and other dumb stuff out, you'd bet I'd attack them. I'm annoyed by the same thing. Thanks again, JCON. I really appreciate your support.
Anonymous 12:18, thanks for the comment. I appreciate it.
Anonymous 1:44, I got in contact with the 25th District CAPS Sergeant this morning, who said he didn't think it was illegal.
Ash, thanks for your comment also. I know that I'm going to stop posting up domestics, just to make people happy. But I'm far from over from posting.
Mo, for the time being at least, I'm here to stay :). No worries.
Anonymous 12:54, thank you also for your comment. I appreciate it. Yes, school is important, and it's my number 1 priority. Unfortunately, today, I had to take off to get some tools for a clean-up. I had to physically show up to prove that I was who I said I was to them. But next time, I will have it done in a different way, where I don't miss school. I agree completely about people my age not doing anything, and no, it's not normal at all. So, once again, thanks for the comment.
Timmy, please don't shut down your blog. It's usually the only way we know what's going on in our neighborhood!
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