The Secret Police: Future Crime Reporting In U.S.

In the United States, emergency services such as police departments and fire departments are going to digital radios, which means that unless you have a digital police scanner, you may not be able to listen to police calls. Also, some first responders are able and willing to hide their communications, even if you have a digital scanner. This not only allows the public the right to know what is going on in their community, it can also hide police activities from the media- newspapers, radio and television.
This is from the Las Vegas Sun: Henderson Police are looking for two men who shot and robbed a 17-year-old boy at a Green Valley Parkway bus stop earlier this month, authorities said today.
Police said the teen was at the bus stop about 6 a.m. June 19 on Green Valley Parkway near Silver Springs Parkway when the shooting occurred.
The teen was listening to music with his eyes closed when two men confronted him and demanded he give them everything he had, police said. One of the men was pointing a black revolver with silver duct tape around the grip at the teen, authorities said. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/jun/29/2-men-sought-teens-shooting-henderson-bus-stop/ The Henderson Police department is on a digital radio system.
This is not too far from where I live and we are just hearing about a shooting that happened 10 days ago? The shooting, if the press had heard about it on the police scanner, the story would have made the newspaper.
The same thing is happening in Pahrump and Nye County. The Nye County Sheriff's Department just went to a digital radio system. The Pahrump Valley Times now get their information from police press releases or police spokesmen. There is no independent verification.
From the PVT: Four people charged in connection with an alleged kidnapping incident on June 17 appeared in court on Monday.
Pahrump Justice Court Judge Kent Jasperson declined to reduce any of the suspects’ bail amounts.
April Holmes, 32, Robin Quadlin, 46, Jeffery Rascon 33, and Steve Salayi, 65, remain in custody in lieu of more than $200,000 bail each.
According to a sheriff’s press release, a victim identified as Nicholas Adams told authorities that for several hours the suspects held him against his will inside a residence. http://pvtimes.com/news/girl-9-drowns-at-pool-party/
In Wisconsin Rapids, who just went to a digital radio, this how they report news now: A 21-year-old man suffered injuries early Wednesday morning after he was ejected from his vehicle following a rollover crash.
The Wisconsin Rapids Police Department responded to the crash in the 2100 block of Whitrock Avenue just after 2 a.m. Wednesday, according to a department news release. http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com/article/20110629/WRT0101/110629034/Man-injured-early-morning-crash?odyssey=tabtopnewsimgFRONTPAGE

So, this is going to be the future of crime reporting in Nevada and the United States. We now have to rely on the police to give us the news. There is no independent verification, no accounting of the police actions, nothing. We don't know if the cops are acting properly and we don't even know if our neighborhood is safe.
What is even more maddening is that the media has rolled over and played dead. Apparently they either don't understand their role in crime reporting and keeping the police honest, or they don't care or they just want keep the cops happy so the cops will keep supplying them with news releases.
It's been a sad year for reporting, from political reporting to keeping the cops honest to giving us information that is going on in our State, County, City and neighborhood.
How sad.