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Listening in on police radio

>From: Cheng Teik Tan <cttan@domain.elided>
>Date: Sat, 07 Sep 1996 18:48:53 +0800
>Subject: Police frequency scanner/tracker
>
>Does anyone know about police frequency tracking devices?  These devices
>when mounted on your car alerts you when you are within 3 miles of a
>police car which is recieving or transmitting a radio signal.
>
>How effective are these devices in preventing a speeding ticket?  I know
>that they are legal in California where I live.
>
>I'm considering the Uniden BCT-10.  Any comments or suggestions please.
>
>Cheng Tan

Cheng & fellow digesters....
I think what you are describing is a scanner, and these are available 
at Radio Shack, and in numerous electronics catalog.  They will scan 
various "ranges" of frequencies used by police and other services, both 
government and private.  You can get books which list frequencies used 
by different police departments (at the same places as you get the 
scanners, of course).

Whether having a scanner and listening in on police communications will 
save you from a ticket is debatable.  It's not likely you will hear 
something like "Unit 5 is setting up a speed trap at mile 2 of route 95 
in Stamford".  More likely you will hear the police car with the radar 
set calling targets to the chase cars as he catches them on radar.  It 
will probably be more like "White 94 Plymouth Sundance, ABC-123 middle 
lane", and you won't know exactly where the car with the radar set is.  
A very good radar detector will probably work much better for 
preventing a speeding ticket.  Not speeding would work too, but with a 
95 M3, that's probably impossible.

Good luck.
Ira Eisenstein
72 2002 tii (but officer, it just doesn't run right at less than 70)
63 Thunderbird Sports Roadster (a beautiful car but it's in the bushes 
on the first turn)
89 Thunderbird V6 (snow and rain use)
87 Voyager (family van)


95 M3