That's because raids are planned off the air. When was the last time you heard the PD say "Hey - do you want to hit 123 Main street tomorrow? Let's go in through the side door with 5 officers."

Of course you don't hear that. It's all planned in person and not on the fly.

The most you will hear on the air for any raid is "Go! Go! Go!" at which time the scanner does you no good at all.

Proper procedures and protocols (and TRAINING) will thwart scanner advantages any day. This whole officer safety issue is a ruse and isolates officers more than clear comms, thus decreasing officer safety. The only thing encryption buys you is the ability to get away with offensive comments which have no place on the air at all.

Joe M.