Busted for scanner in vehicle

[John Diel]

Hey Tony,

DON'T travel through Ponca City Oklahoma without your seatbelt on. They WILL find you! I've seen them pull over and cite drivers in a thunderstorm WITH the tornado sirens blaring in the background.

 

[Tim Stoecklein]

This is definately one of the dumbest laws that I have heard of, no doubt about that. What's the difference if your listening to a scanner, or listening to the radio?! I guess I will just have to hide if from now on...

Laws are meant to protect people, and what does listening to a scanner have to do with infringing on someone else's rights, or safety issues? Again, listening to the radio is no different, in my opinion...

BIG difference in the type of information you are receiving! I, in NO way, am arguing for laws like these to increase in coverage or depth, but scanners in the wrong hands could do alot more to infringe on someone's rights and safety than radio. Stop and think about a person's ability to know what police are doing by listening to the scanner in their get-away car outside the local 7-11 as their buddy is holding a gun to the cashier's head. You can pick a less drastic example if you wish. People can sit outside your house, or down the block for that matter, and pick up your cordless phone conversation with great ease, not to mention the information they could pick up. I'd say that infringes on personal rights and safety, no?

In my mind, the information spread over the airwaves is open for interception, but I can see where they have come from when they wrote their laws when you compare it to regular radio. :wink:

Tim

 

[John Diel]

Just as a note, it is a Felony in Oklahoma to commit a crime and use a scanner in doing so. I can't speak for other states, but this basically says if you commit a crime (any crime) and use a scanner to help you commit said crime, it's upgraded to a felony. I don't think it pertains to traffic offenses, but I don't think I would want to find out either.

 

[Shawn Rutherford]

Well

God Bless Texas... where only the lawMAKERS are stupid.

A scanner poses little threat to law enforcement unless you are trying to avoid law enforcement.... and bad guys are going to get ahold of a scanner anyway.

Here in Austin, you will need to push out over 300 bucks to get a scanner that works with local Austin PD .... they blew 89 million dollars on a new digital radio system... APCO 25 with a 9600 baud backbone... Very unique and on of only 5 in the country... as I'm told.

 

[John Diel]

ON the subject of dumb laws, Oklahoma actually has a tax stamp for Marijuana. They way it was explained to me, was that you could add the trump charge of tax evasion when arresting someone for possesion, etc. That particular law may have been repealed at this time though.

 

[Jay McCoy]

This is definately one of the dumbest laws that I have heard of, no doubt about that. What's the difference if your listening to a scanner, or listening to the radio?! I guess I will just have to hide if from now on...

Laws are meant to protect people, and what does listening to a scanner have to do with infringing on someone else's rights, or safety issues? Again, listening to the radio is no different, in my opinion...

One of the main reasons it was made illegal was criminals listening in on police frequencies so they could commit their crime when all the police units were busy.

No matter if its legal to own a scanner or not in any state. It is illegal to use a scanner to help commit a crime and is a seperate offense you can be charged with in ALL states.

 

[Patrick Ware]

Here in Austin, you will need to push out over 300 bucks to get a scanner that works with local Austin PD .... they blew 89 million dollars on a new digital radio system... APCO 25 with a 9600 baud backbone... Very unique and on of only 5 in the country... as I'm told.

RS Pro-96 picks em up just fine..... :wink: It was well over $300 and worth every penny.!BTW, there are several states which it IS illegal to operate a portable scanner without a HAM license.

 

[Max Slover]

General Question,

Has anyone here ever recieved a ticket for having a scanner in your vehicle (without a ARRL license) while tracking storms. Just curious as I bought a scanner and am not a HAM operator. I am guessing that the old saying, "Out of sight, out of mind" would be a good practice until I get my license.

FWIW, I was given a lot of grief when I lived in Kansas City for a few months back in 1990. Independence City MO PD took me to extreme task for my having a scanner, a CB, and a commercial 2 way HT (I was employed by a towing firm at the time). It was, at the time, standard procedure that you needed to get a permit from the Cheif of Police in that city in order to have a scanner in a vehicle. The regulations were due to how the Kansas City area awarded towing to third party operators. I got out of by the skin of my teeth. Never since have I ever been questioned about my use of a scanner.

 

[Glenn Schubert]

As a storm chaser and NASCAR fan, my portable scanner serves double duty. I attend the Brickyard 400 every year in Indianapolis and like many NASCAR fans I take my scanner to the race to listen to the drivers. I have heard about the scanner law in Indiana, but apparently it is not being inforced very strongly or they could be issuing ~100,000 fine at the race.