Officers Ordered To Stop Profane Talk On Illegal Radios

INDIANAPOLIS -- Dozens of illicit radios were ordered removed from Indianapolis police cars after ham radio operators complained about the language officers used on radio frequencies they aren't supposed to be utilizing.

Hundreds of police officers used what they called a second radio to talk to other officers, but those radios don't have federal authorization, 6News' Jack Rinehart reported.

Officers sometimes used the extra radios for officials business, but they were also used for personal communication and biting, sometimes profane commentary about their workday.

"I've heard, basically, obscenities," said a ham radio operator who didn't want to be identified. "I've heard comments about private citizens, in general."

"I'm locking that guy up. I'll write a report, and that way, she'll want to report his a** anyway," an officer said in a conversation that the ham operator had recorded.

"F*** it, ha ha ha," exclaimed another officer.

Ham operators who found the language offensive reported it to the Federal Communications Commission, prompting the department to do a three-day inspection of cruisers and ordering everyone with an unlicensed radio to remove it.

"Apparently, there has been a problem with some language, which is a violation of the FCC regulations," said Indianapolis police Lt. Jeff Duhamell. "The chief has decided that the officers should pull them out of their vehicles."

The FCC is letting Indianapolis police handle the issue internally. Officer use of unauthorized frequencies goes back many years, Rinehart reported.