Subject: [NEXTEL-1] RE: [Wireless Forum Homeland Security Group] Dog Pound - Dec. 19, 2002

From: Alan Dixon <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 12:33:41 -0500

What in Blazes is Philadelphia's sick obsession with attempting to block
out scanner users?  In another press report, the city went on and on
about the tens of millions of dollars spent on their new digital public
safety radio system.  The only advantage cited by city officials was the
new system's inability to be received on existing scanner receivers.  No
mention was made of anything like interoperability, enhanced
functionality, or serviceability (if any of these were factors at all).

Philadelphia requires citizens with scanners to possess a city scanner
license (licensed radio amateurs are exempt by federal preemption) for
which they pay an outrageous fee, something on the order of $70 per year.
 On top of this highway robbery, what do city scanner licensees get for
their money?  No service.

This all comes from a city whose idea of making an arrest has been aerial
bombardment of an entire city block, and whose idea of firefighting was
to let the entire block incinerate before advancing hose lines and master
stream appliances.  I had hoped that Philadelphia's sorry reputation of
corruption had died with the former Rizzo dynasty.  Perhaps not.  Surely,
Ben Franklin turns in his grave.

I, and my jurisdiction(s) have always strived for, and achieved, a
greater level of customer service.

Alan Dixon
Contributing Editor - Popular Communications
Retired Public Safety Officer
Member Emeritus - Baltimore County (MD) 911 Task Force

Please copy replies to <n3hoe[a]juno.com>.

On Thu, 19 Dec 2002 03:24:51 -0500 Marcel <[email-masked]>
writes:
--------------------------
Philadelphia's mayor has sent a notice to the city's media organizations
telling them the radio patch between the new public safety digital 800
MHz radio system and the former 450 MHz system won't be active during
police and fire tests of the system, so, "existing scanners will not be
able to detect the fire and police broadcasts." The mayor continued,
"Please be assured we are trying to accommodate news media accessibility
before the full launch of the new system." The mayor noted that digital
scanners will be available early next year and, "The City's managing
director's office is finalizing a media access policy for the new
scanners."

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From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 23:36:25 -0500

All they are doing is drawing attention to themselves. I have seen messages already
listing ID's and other system information. With "KeyGen" and other backdoor methods
floating around it won't be long until their system is compromised. There only temporary
fire wall is encryption keys, but how long will they be secure? Not long-

Alan Dixon wrote:

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