The widely-televised chase of non-felony crime suspects during Monday's afternoon drive-time ("rush? hour") brought side-stories for 2 days afterwards.
One of the stories focused on how Kansas City's police couldn't talk to Overland Park and other Kansas law agencies on their radios.
Well folks- it ISN'T because of Kansas City's reportedly "outdated radio system" that city leaders are throwing $34-million taxpayer dollars at for replacement.
I've been listening to public service- "police" radios since the 1960's. I still do.
There HAS been a radio channel around since that time that is available to EVERY law agency in America.
That frequency- 155.475 is the National Police Mutual-Aid (NPMA) channel (Fire depts. have one too- 154.28).
Kansas City MO's 800mhz trunked radio system has been linked into both the police NPMA AND fire mutual aid channels since the 800-system was installed for around $40-million in 1995 dollars.
By the way- KC-MO's old VHF radio system worked fine for more than 30 years.
The TV news story we saw said the various police agencies who worked that car chase down I-35 at rush hour "couldn't talk to each other."
Had all agencies had the NPMA patched into THEIR radio systems like they're supposed to- the radio communications problem wouldn't have been an issue whatsoever.
And it costs nowhere NEAR $40-million to ANY AGENCY to do this!
Yet the "news" media completely overlooked that fact and reported false facts without giving the viewer the complete story.
Like the Tiger Woods incident- let's just find a different angle to beat the same story to death.
And let's not even be totally ACCURATE when we (they actually- not me) do so.
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