Do you ever listen to police scanners, pretty easy now with phone apps. I've listened

[RKP5637]

on traditional scanners off and, but the phone apps work well. It's enough to make you really double check the locks on your doors. I've been in some areas where it seems calm and quiet, and then I hear the activity on the scanner and wow.

[woodsprite]

1. I listen to them frequently during weather events, especially winter storms

where some of the people around me insist that the roads aren't particularly bad. I put that on for an hour or so and they can hear the cops and emergency workers talking back/forth. It's made them change their minds about traveling in some instances.

I wish I could get our city or University police on there. I can get county and state Fire and Police for Delaware, and county for Maryland. I work at the university and they have an alert system (Send Word Now) so I do get those texts, and I signed up for a weekly crime report that is designed for your specific area.

[RKP5637]

2. Some states/cities/municipalities have encrypted all police communications now, except you

can usually get fire and medical transmissions, etc. The technology has excluded much listening for many. It's a mixed bag. In some instances the open airwaves helped criminals. ... then others have said it made for a more aware public. It's a mixed bag, I guess. Yep, the alert systems for universities are great. When I was at the university way back there was nothing.

[SeattleVet]

3. I keep my scanner by my desk.

Helpful for handling telephone scammers, too:

when a call comes in from an unknown number, I turn it on and answer, "North precinct, fraud division. Clearly state your name and company name for the record" with police calls going on in the background. They usually quickly hang up and I never hear from that one again!

[RKP5637]

4. Wow, that, is clever!!! n/t