On 9 Jan 2004 15:44:15 GMT, David wrote:

Nowadays cops use digital cellphones if they want to be secure from
the press.

I've never heard of anybody around here getting busted for having a
scanner. That sounds like crazy talk.

Check with the ARRL. They'll quote you all the cities and states where
the police wanted scanners and VHF and UHF ham radios banned in
vehicles. Just because no one has been busted doesn't mean the laws
aren't on the books.

I agree it's crazy talk, but from the police.

The New Jersey scanner law:

397. EQUIPPING MOTOR VEHICLES WITH RADIO RECEIVING SETS CAPABLE OF
RECEIVING SIGNALS ON THE FREQUENCIES ALLOCATED FOR POLICE USE.

A person, not a police officer or peace officer, acting pursuant to
his special duties, who equips a motor vehicle with a radio receiving
set capable of receiving signals on the frequencies allocated for
police use or knowingly uses a motor vehicle so equipped or who in any
way knowingly interferes with the transmission of radio messages by
the police without having first secured a permit to do so from the
person authorized to issue such a permit by the local governing body
or board of the city, town or village in which such person resides, or
where such person resides outside of a city, or village in a county
having a county police department by the board of supervisors of such
county, is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine not exceeding
one thousand dollars, or imprisonment not exceeding six months, or
both. Nothing in this section contained shall be construed to apply to
any person who holds a valid amateur radio operator's license issued
by the federal communications commission and who operates a duly
licensed portable mobile transmitter and in connection therewith a
receiver or receiving set on frequencies exclusively allocated by the
federal communications commission to duly licensed radio amateurs.

Crazy talk, all right, but legal crazy talk.

Rich