I want/need a police scanner. I've got a couple apps, but KCPD is on a different system. I've found a scanner that can read their encryption codes, but it's well out of my price range (over $500 IIRC) any local guys have any ideas?

If KCPD is encrypted, I don't think there is a legal way to listen in.

If they are trunked, P25 and such, than that is do-able.

Of course, a higher end scanner will be more capable, especially with simulcast.

I picked up a Uniden SDS100 a couple months ago, upgrading from an old radio shack trunk track that I've had for 20+ years. It's been great so far, but it is out of your $ range.

There are models in the $4xx.xxx ish range that will work, and to pick up the newer systems , you're probably going to pony up the money.

OP,
A membership at radioreference.com allows a direct upload from their databases to many different scanners.(with the proper computer cable of course)

I have an older Grecom PSR-500 scanner that allows digital trunked scanning and P25. It hasn't been made for a decade I think. I like its feature that you can assign 7 different LED colors to light up when a certain programmed frequency(ies) transmit. One color for Sheriff, EMS, Fire, etc. I use it primarily when mobile so I don't have to look at the display.

I'm not an expert in these matters. But as stated above, you're not listening to encrypted comms with out a department issued radio or bootleg codeplugs. And the FCC doesn't take the latter lightly at all.

There was a bust in Stark County, OH where violators were cloning P25 police radios. Heavy fines and jail time IIRC

The nice thing about some of the higher end scanners, like my sds100, is that the entire radioreference.com database is already programmed in it. You can also update it using the free Uniden Sentinal software. You don't need a membership to RR. But if you want to learn and go further with this hobby, nothing wrong with a membership.

If you don't want to delve into a time consuming learning process, all you need to do is type in your area code, and the range you'd like to listen to, and it will scan everthing "listenable" in your area.

Of course, they are much more custamizable, but can be as simple as I just stated.

Trunked P25 is what they have I believe. The model scanner I saw was a Uniden (Bearcat maybe).

Thanks! I'll look onto that.

IM me a contact number and time/s to call I can direct you you someone local that can help you.

IM'd. Thank you!

A DYI option that is available these days is to get a couple of Software Defined Radio (SDR) dongles and some freeware software. It took some tinkering with the software, but with a $30 dongle I was able to read trunked repeaters. A purpose built scanner like the others recommended is much easier to setup and use however :).

My SDS100 was on fire last night, listening to KCPD and such handling the riots. I'm 60 miles away from KC.

I saw something like this the other day. I'm looking at getting a set up.

I got it working with only a single dongle, but it doesnt have the bandwidth to capture all the frequencies in the trunked system. If I was going to use it exclusively for that, I would get another dongle or two to get full bandwidth.

The videos I've seen all have 2. One for receiving and the other for encoding I believe.

Some of KCPD was unencrypted (along with the joco tac teams who came to assist and patched in) until yesterday.  All encrypted now.