A story out of Jacksonville, Florida may be much ado about nothing or it may be the new status quo, and it’s got some citizens in the area concerned as to why the police would want to completely close off access to what the police are doing:
For the first time ever in Jacksonville police radio traffic will be completely closed off to the public. Six years ago JSO [Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office] began operating under encrypted radio frequencies, a result of 9/11.
When that change occurred a way to keep the public in the know was to provide those radios to the media. Last month a policy decision was made to take those back. At the time the only reason citied was a budgetary concern.
We asked a former public information officer at JSO, Ken Jefferson if this decision would limit access to the public’s information, he says it would.
“It will certainly enable them to control the flow of information because you don’t have the scanners to listen to them as it comes out,” says Jefferson. Without the ability to hear it in real time, “as its happening you’re going to have to rely on them.”
When we asked several council members for their take most were unaware of what this one policy decision by Sheriff Rutherford would actually mean. John Crescimbeni told us, “I don’t think the public realizes what’s happening.”
…
The media will now have to rely on Emergency Alert Response System (EARS) brodacasts to hear when police units are called out. However, EARS broadcasts often take hours to get from the police to newsrooms, if they ever show up at all.
JSO has cited budget, legal, and safety concerns as their primary reasons for removing the radios.
Source: WOKV Original , Followup Report
According to one source a brief radio report originating on AM690 (WOKV) in Jacksonville suggests there is much more to the story than this being a local decision based on budgetary, legal and safety reasons:
This week they contacted all of the News Channels in Jacksonville and told them they must turn in all of their Police Scanners. They were told the Department of Homeland Security has ordered this. Even though this article [excerpted and sourced above] does not mention Homeland Security, my local news talk radio station, AM 690, did report that the order came down from them. Jacksonville Florida Sheriffs Department are also in the process of changing all of their call codes as well. There are five local TV channels , they have all been ordered to turn in their scanners as well as the radio channels and also the newspapers. Now no one will now know what they are doing or saying.
Even our News Anchors on the local channels are visibly upset by these events, they have told the public that they must now rely on them and have all set up phone lines dedicated to receive news from the public and are asking people to please call in anything news worthy because like they said, it can now take hours or even days to report the news to people.
If this was, in fact, an order from Department of Homeland Security the obvious question is: why?
While Homeland Security and the rest of the federal family of agencies works directly with local police departments across the country, the notion that they are giving direct orders to local police is alarming. Unless there is a direct security threat to the Jacksonville area, DHS involvement doesn’t make sense, nor does a complete media access blackout.
Restricting access to police communications will make it impossible for media, and subsequently the population, to know what’s happening in the area. If, for example, a serious threat exists police would be able to keep it under wraps until such time that they, or DHS, decide it’s time to let the public know. The same holds true if large numbers of police officers or supporting personnel (e.g. military) are to be deployed to certain areas. No one would know until after the fact. Indeed a curious development.
No additional reports of Homeland Security involvement have been made available and it is unclear whether other cities in the United States are implementing similar restrictions on media access at this time.
Hat tip John Rolls
The only reason you would close off that kind of communication is if you were planning something that would effect the populous.
yeah, but its Florida – we can live without them. Detroit should have been first, or California, but still…
We’ll remember that next time you come here on vaca.. kick sand in your face, yes, we will.. 🙂
Something wicked this way comes!
Jacksonville was the number one location reported last year for a possible red flag attack location.
Mav, do you have a source for this? I have relatives in Jax and I’d like to help them get prepared.
I live in Jax and it is very true. Alot of the local radio and TV personalities were fuming over this, to no avail.
That’s EXACTLY what is going to happen. US will be rammed by a submarine the USS SSN 776 out of Hawaii. It’s going to be an “accident” either stolen like our Planes were on 9/11 or actually executed by the U.S.
Homeland Security ordered all police departments to go encrypted some time ago. But it’s taking time for all of them to switch over. I think the money comes out of the DHS budget. I was surprised that the Police gave scanners to the media. I’ve had scanners for a long time but now that they’re all going encrypted I won’t buy a new one. The encrypted scanners are available, but usually over $500. Having scanners helps the public keep up on whats going on in their town, because the MSM refuses to print politically incorrect news.
Heck, HS..the MSM refuses to print politically CORRECT news..
Maybe Fox News will go out of business ….. One could only hope
Good luck on your trek being shuffled off a cliff mister Herdy McHerdman.
I can see why you want to remain “Anonymous.” No sense broadcasting where such foolishness originates.
SOME of us prefer to remain informed rather than brainwashed and numb. Did you fail your history class – the part where the Jews were led to the slaughter?
now they will be leading the way.
Maybe you should do all of us a favor and go play in the traffic while listening to your MSLSD with Hairball and Mr. Tingle’s.
It’s the ONLY reliable news on the air you moron!
I call BS on that. Fox is the same as all the rest. Just from the other side. It is the same bull wrapped in a different package. Seems you think that there are two sides in American politics. There is only one. Both are on the same side. Divide and conquer. 536 men and women leading 300 million.
Where would you get fair and balanced news?
Yeah Commrade; u commie socialists would just love that.
Holy Crap..is this IS real about the scanners…we need to monitor this situation carefully.
Some a$$hat will probably steal a couple before long, or manage to “lose it in an accident”… Never can tell…
or if they had something to hide
public services should be opent to the public..period
and all communications should be public..
obviosly they cant be trusted..or maybe they have terrorist tendancies that they are hiding.
if you cant be open with your communications , than your hiding something you shoulnd be..its that simple
Police radios have GPS so don’t steal one. They will track you down.
smart people with electronic communication know how should be able to subvert this
Yes they will, or so I’m told.
I wonder how many hams/radio hackers have already broken the code?
Missed it by…THAT much!
Couldn’t the swat teams just use the ‘cone of silence’ for their really deep under cover stuff? Worked for 86 and 99…
I just happen to have a shoe phone and I keep all my silver in that telephone booth
BTW, has anybody seen Wilbur?
many people younger than 30 years old or so, don’t have a clue as to what your’re talking about. I have to admit I know though. Funny show.
loved that show!!
Tough nut to crack alright. We went to the 800 series radios a few years ago in the fire dept. and we hate them. I can talk to frickin Maine PD but I can’t talk to my men on scene.
Encrypted, unscanable, pieces of shit. The feds gave us the initial equipment [grants you know…free money] but them we have to take up the slack. Switching towers, downed repeaters, somebody flipped the wrong switch last week and the whole system on one tower went down…what unadulterated BS. Shouldda stayed with plain ole VHF works great. Anything involving the cops makes me suspect their motives…just like every cop needs an M-4 these days.
They used to be repected now their just feared.
Um, just what switch was that anyway?…
Um, just what switch was that, anyway?…
Americans are innovative. Wouldn’t be surprised when someone comes up with a “citizens” system – where victims and witnesses can report what they called into 911. Can see it being manned by volunteers.
oh come on… you know it’ll just get shut down and the “volunteers” harassed by the government until they give it up
i’ve got a scanner for most stations within a 25 mile radius of me where ever I am on my smart phone..I’ll be watching to see how long this app works
I was told about this by a LEO friend of mine..I didnt think it was going to go this fast.
This should be a matter of public record..
and my thinking is , if you havent got anything to hide, than you shouldnt be hiding anything.
I guess JSO didn’t like the media showing up at that “unsanctioned party”, (aka) Flash Mob where 11 people were shot.
Let’s not let Joe Law Abiding citizen know if he sees a large crowd of young Black youths, He should fear for his life.
The MSM in Jacksonville is so liberal I can’t stand to watch it in the first place. So I do understand why JSO would not want them to have scanners. But hey folks its about live traffic reports which TV and radio get from their scanners.
In an emergency I would rather hear the MSM blurt it out then for some public official to decide what I need to know.
So unless its a National Security issue I want to know what government employees are up to. If this did come down from DHS then we have bigger problems then we know, because they are playing this as a local issue.
I’ve gotten to the point I don’t care if it’s a real “national security issue”, that’s just a buzz word phase they like to use to hide what they are doing.
Y buddy, when I hear national security implications, it’s just code for they don’t want you to know. Sure don’t help that most of the time they are largely clueless too. Their life is made easier if we remain ignorant (none of those pesky calls, or media coverage that means they will be required to do something or lose face). Our lives are endangered, but hey, as long as it’s more convenient for them… Keep that in mind as you rub up against LEO’s and feds. The public (aka eaters/tax donkeys/victims, etc…) are the last priority. Remember when the purpose of police were to protect and serve? Now it’s Law Enforcement. There is no law that says they have to protect you. I’d rather no police honestly. They serve little purpose save traffic control. I personally don’t require their protection. They actually hinder my ability to protect myself w/ the myriad self serving laws and regulations, most of which they refuse to inform the public about and are passed w/ little fanfare. Remember when seconds count, the police are only minutes away.
AMEN BROTHER speak the truth!
Why would anyone give in to them? Scanners are not “registered” at least not here in CA. If I was told I couldn’t have something – makes me want it even more 🙂 And hell if I’d give it up, “I’m sorry officer that was with my guns that fell over board in Lake Tahoe’s tragic boating accident I had.”
That’s DEEP!
Imagine no longer having access to a police scanner, then imagine a situation where something went down involving a large group of people. Then imagine that all cell service was shut down around the event.
You would have to imagine because you wouldn’t be able to believe any msm or gov paid speaker about the situation, especially if the people involved were no longer around to tell their side. I can see where homeland security would like situations like this.
Oh, like Ruby Ridge, or Waco?? Hmmm.
All things that set off Timothy McVeigh.
The government needs to be careful and respect the citizenry because once they keep going down that dark path shit like TM will keep happening.
Somedude: Do your homework the government was responsible for Oklahoma city not Mcveigh, an A.N.F.O. bomb, ammonia, nitrate,fertilizer,oil, could not due the damage suggested. The building was wired from specific columns inside the building. Mcveigh was a pasty to justify waco, ruby ridge, and other DISGUSTING ACTS this criminal government had perpetrated on the American people!
Remember “John Doe#2”? That was quickly dropped. Have to agree with Copout on the bomb. With the truck so far away, can’t see it doing that kind of damage.
Makes me think of “The Crazies”.
I read about a system a while back, which is designed to allow federal LE/Military to communicate with state and local LE using their exsisting communications systems. According to the article, this system is intended for use after martial law has been declared. It is my opinion that this is the reason that state and local LE was made to go to the encrypted system, and the testing/use of this system is the reason for these scanners being taken back. I believe we will see this a lot more around the country in the near future.
+1
Mr. Buckner,
Semper Fi!
Folks need to WAKE UP, and SEE THE PLOT being perpetrated AGAINST THEM, right under their noses!
It’s EXCTLY for times such as these, that We The People MUST support our local CIDG (Civilian Irregular Defense Group) units, more comminly known as The Militia!
The militia IS one of our INALIENABLE RIGHTS under the Constitution, and IS the FORCE that carries out, AND PROTECTS OUR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS!
If TPTB is looking to KEEP information FROM US…WHO ARE THEIR RIGHTFUL BOSSES….then OUR CIDG units are under CONSTITUTIONAL MANDATE to PRESERVE, AND DEFEND OUR RIGHTS as a people…AGAINST ALL ENEMIES, AND AT ALL COSTS!!
I would be making the acquisition of FULLY FEATURED Police scanners a TOP PRIORITY,on your survival/combat prep list….along with purchasing silver for barter, food, water and ammo. Every militia unit should consider police scanners as high value intel assets, and so acquire and guard them INTENSELY, meeting EVERY attempt at confiscation of said items…WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE!
As my friends have said many times….”BRACE FOR IMPACT…THEN LOCK AND LOAD, ‘CAUSE THE SH*T IS ABOUT TO HIT THE FAN IN BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS!
God Bless, Protect and Restore the Sovereign Republic of Texas!
Warfighter
This is just another tip of the totalitarian iceberg. Someday, they’ll decide to start using all that private information they pick up while eavesdropping to search for terrorists. Then the real fun will begin.
Look guys, they want to control the flow of information under the guise of “we don’t want the bad guys to hear our communications.” They don’t want to have anyone hear what they are doing, or where they’ll strike next. Keep us in the dark- that’s the idea. This is SOP 101.
Remember, “They know that we know what they’re doing”- so they are acting accordingly.
Now that’s scary! But to me, ANYTHING that Homeland Security is involved in…is scary!!
Outlaws wear black, use masks to conceal their identities and use secret communications to avoid detection.
Any questions?
Does anyone else smell stentch of liberal irony here???
The MSM is predominantly liberal.
(aka ~ Socialist / Marxist)
Even with their left leanings and biased reporting, what’s the first thing Socialists / Marxists go after?
A free press.
These fools are getting a taste of what “we’ve” been warning them about for years. Socialists / Marxists don’t care if you agree with them (and report accordingly), they MUST CONTROL you!
God save our Republic!
You want to do WHAT with me at the airport?
You…and that little white-haired grandmother with sup hose, orthopedic shoes and her knitting bag. See her? Right behind the swarthy Middle Eastern man who is nervous as a cat and who keeps setting off the metal detector…sorry ma’am, we’ll have to ask you to step aside. And sir? That’s OK – go on through…no racial profiling on MY watch… no sirree…
Just keep prepping……..
Zero job growth.. 1st time since WWII. Let’s see, what happened then ? Oh yea, WWII. There are few things more dangerous than a marxist president confronted with the abject failure of his own policies.. Look out.
If he loses the election, suddenly some tragic event will happen, and He will declare a state of Emergency and retain power.
We have 14 more months for the masses to come to their senses and evict the “current occupant” of the White House. The charge? He violated the tenant agreement.
Hard-core Marxists rarely give up power voluntarily.
Die traitor die.
If this is a policy from DHS…can we expect more police dept. to follow suit?
Is this the same DHS that Radical Conservative Bush brought in?? Hypocrite much?
…because Obama has eliminated it, right? Oh wait, he extended it and the Patriot Act too. Hypocrite much?
+2 MdO. You are a just man. You know who you are & I respect that more than you will ever know.
bush started the TSA, Dhs and patriot act, Hypocrite much??
is this the policy from the bush started tsa, dhs and patriot act? hypocrite much??
perhaps a response to the court decision that video-taping
the police is legal and constitutionally protected..eliminate radio signal transmission of police activities and this would be the rest of the story.
That was my first thought as well.
I was thinking the exact thing! They figure we can’t videotape ’em if we don’t know where they are.
another un-necessary expendature, doing this shit costs money..so maybe we let them keep screwing themselfs right into a possition to where they cant afford to exist, but beware..it will be an ugly end..or an ugly start to an ugly end, corp death can be brutal if you dont know how to survive it.
there comes a time where you just watch em do it to themselfs, it started a long time ago, its just getting ramped up
It is the Sheriffs job to stop the feds from exceeding jurisdiction in the state.
He should be strung up…
Look for a false flag event. Would make sense as Florida is a swing state and Jimmy Carter Jr will need it to “capture” an electoral victory.
The only thing that might require this is the sub station in Jacksonville but everyone knows it;s there. Possibly the Navy need more security help from the local police…who knows why
with homeland security on the brink of bankruptsy and fema not having any money either, i would think they would be grateful that others out here have scanners, are paying attention to what comes over the scanners and have the sense to actually help in situations where there are few first responders or responders who dont have a clue as to what to do in a given situation. stuff happens and the government needs to understand that they are not all they are cracked up to be.
Cop: If you haven’t got anything to hide then you won’t mind me searching you, right?
Citizen: If you haven’t got anything to hide then you won’t mind me listening to you, right?
Besides, it should only be a matter of days til we can buy those new chinese deciphering scanners at wal-mart. I’m gonna get several. They’ll make nice Christmas gifts!
Make sure they have reset buttons for when you plug in your Christmas lights and it scrambles the signal…
I live in Jax and they’ve blocked the local police radio traffic from the web based radio services for some time now.
http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audio/ fire and EMS are still available in Jacksonville
Mama always said “You gotta do the best with what God gives you.”
I don’t know about you all, but I’m glad I no longer LIVE in the good old USA. I love the principals the country is founded on, but those are no longer in effect. Yall holler if you need a place to bunk.
Combine this action with the action of BART and you’ll pretty much have a total black out in any given area.
BART shut down communications faster than the dictator Mubarak. Hmmm, what does that tell you about the authorities?
Der Geheime Staats Polizei (Gestapo) is rising again! Over here, not over there!
“….And then, at the airports, the TSA touches them in the balls, like this…./_/…”
Jacksonville has liberal media?
You are joking, right?
It is one of the most conservative cities in Florida.
Whoever thinks that Jacksonville’s media is liberal is either smoking something weird or does not know the meaning of the word “liberal”.
Room #6, it’s just painfully obvious they just don’t live here in Jacksonville to think our media is way too liberal! I agree with you, most are conservative, give or take a select few.
Now our crime rate is thru the roof. Excuses of the media getting in the way just don’t cut it for me. I’m more inclined to believe JSO is getting tired of being caught on tape doing what they shouldn’t and having to pay for it. That’s the budget issue right there, the lawsuits!
Hmmmm….. isn’t that close to where all of those black players and coaches attacked the white referree??? Maybe there is going to be some SHTF! I know alot of people that are just about done with the department of in-justices refusal to prosecutre black-on-white violence. Florida is a place where it could flash. One could only hope…..
In Florida? Sounds to me like it is just part of a process to prevent all the drug crews from knowing every move the cops make. I’m sure they managed to get their hands on a few of these scanners. Next they’ll change up the frequencies and encryption. If this was happening in Wisconsin it might be a different story.
Hummm shades of Nazi Germany,and how things all began. To use an old expression A parachute is like the mind or government.It works best when open.
Is that sweetie Janet Napolitano cookin’ something?
Butch Napolitano can’t cook. She always orders out. Muffburgers to go.
Pulled into Jxville after cruising up the intercoastal on my way down the St John’s River three years ago…spent a few days on the hook there. There was a bridge where I was going ashore which had a suburban cul de sac street nearby:
Classic spook style sedan with Virgina plates and a guy within bearing all the style particulars of Langley dude – jist sittin there watchin the bridge. Weird scene. My gut feelin – false flag incident in the making….
Why JXville?
I donnaknow; but that’s a heck of a big container port!? And that airfield I passed a few days later with all the parked V-hicles?!? That disappeared offa the radar a while back too did it not!?!? what’s 9 plus 11? Anybody!?
Isn’t Florida’s airports one of the biggest import locations for drugs??
Just saying.
Someone in Florida is saying its the media that is causing a problem. Eleven people shot in the black community several weeks ago in one night, the media had to be blocked off for getting in the way of the police. They can’t handle the crime problem when they have the media getting in the way. Next night 5 were shot and same problem with the media.
Did the DHS just become the secret police???
It will be!
DHS is one of the creations of senator Lieberamn, the dual citizen Israeli who is only masquerading as a US senator who along with Michael Chertoff (another dual citizen) are turning this nation into Gaza and us into Palestinian’s.
The Department of Communist Security should start to mind their own damn business before they are removed by Military force……….It’s coming….mark my words!
The latest and best in scanners:
http://www.homepatrol.com/
It wasn’t scanners… It was actual 800Mhz radio’s that the department loaned the media…The same radios that induvidual officers use… They (JSO) did collect them, but lied and gave several BS excuses on why!
There is a website that has followed the drug trafficing in Florida for several years now. Google madcowmorningnews.com.
Janet Napolitano. What qualifications for security of our country could she possibly possess? The willingness to follow orders and keep her mouth shut? How the hell did she get elected Governor of Arizona? Surely the computerized voting machines were hacked. And don’t call me Shirley.
What is all the fuss about? Why should the public listen to Police communications? Giving a hand to crooks?
Very funny these Americans!
When I read ‘European says:’ I knew right then, if I read the accompanying comment it would be idiotic. BINGO!
Don’t get me wrong, Police communications are not for the press, it’s priviledged information and as such must be kept secret. Or don’t you trust your Police?
No, we don’t trust our police.
I grew up in Ethiopia and lived through the revolution when Haile Selassie was deposed by a communist regime. Every night there were explosions, small arms fire, tracers spraying the horizon. We could tell based upon the size of the explosions whether there would be school the next day. If tanks and mortars were going off, no school, for sure. But, there was never any news. We all listened to BBC to see if their correspondents had an idea, but towards the end, even BBC got kicked out and so news was totally sketchy, mostly non-existent. It was surreal, huge battles were going on, but no one knew who was shooting at whom, or even why. I remember the frustration of not knowing. Totalitarian regimes are not something we ever want, even in the name of “safety.”
Listening to the “authorities” while they do their thing is called signal intelligence. It has tactical value. Ignore info at your own risk.
Thank you for reiterating the importance of getting prepared for survival in a serious situation. Listen up people!! You need One Gallon of water per person, per day. food and shelter.Also, get a short wave radio…the American Red Cross has an exceptional assortment at affordable prices.
Two can play at that game.
It appears like the time has come for an encryption app for one’s iPhones.
http://www.fox30jax.com/content/topstories/story/Police-Radios-Sheriffs-newest-excuse/v6u4IPxiiki1YUVhgYwLVw.cspx
Break out your video cameras everyone. Time to get the news out!
Ever notice how the more Israeli’s we have in our government creating DHS laws (like Lieberman, Chertoff) the more we get treated like Palestinian’s in our on country?
I Think What Is Happening, Is They Are Preparing For An Economic Collapse And Social Upheavel They Have Been Training The Military For A While Now With Crowd Control People Really Need To Prepare Best With What They Can Extra Food Water Medicine To Be Able To Stay Out Of Harms Way Safely At Home With Their Families If Things Fall Apart Where They Are There Will Always Be Ways To Get The Word Out When Things Go Bad It Will Just Take Time Not The Instant Knowing We Are Use To .
This is pretty serious. Jacksonville is a major port on the Eastern seaboard and the site of a huge Naval base. A submarine is going to ram it…and it will be an accident and it will be the “shot heard around the world” as it will be the “beginning” and we will not know if the US did it by accident and blames the enemy or if we are really being attacked. JACKSONVILLE is in grave DANGER….GTFO!!
Grave danger?
Is there another kind?
The whole damn country is in grave danger and I would like to see all our troops brought home from all the middle eastern countries where their lives and our money are being thrown away. We should be guarding our own borders and looking out for infiltration from terrorist groups and ferreting out the ones which are already here. I do not consider that Jacksonville is in any more danger than any other Naval Port on either seaboard. If anything, it is a lower profile target and our enemies like to make big splashes is better known pools like New York City.
I would love to see all our troops back home and then declare to the world that any attack on America will be met by total annhilation by neuclear bombs of the country from where the attack originated. I would also let it be known that any country known to harbor anti-American terrorists would be bombed once any intelligence of the location of such terrorists was known.
Stop playing these stupid war games that went out of date when Japan surrendered.
Welcome all to the world of the Secret Police that has to answer to no one. This invites corruption of the highest magnetude. Canada has started with this same evolution. Its time to stop being politically correct puppets and take back the country. Make North America our country again. The tirants spoken about during the battles for independance are no longer on the other side of the ocean, they are in parliment right here right now.
Thngs are getting worse under the illegal living in the white house. Be cool. Stay below the radar. try to avoid being around large crowds unless it is a church. There, the gestapo only taks minicam tv pictures. They almost never shoot. At least, not yet. Oh yeah…be sure that you stay in your own part of town. If yu don’t live in the other section, do not go there unless you are armed and dangerous to hostile people. They are hostile, too.