Kids caught tapping into police radio

YOUNG criminals are tapping into the movements of police to plan their crimes and avoid detection, but Townsville’s top cop said they couldn’t outsmart his officers.

It comes after CCTV obtained by the Townsville Bulletin showed what appears to be a juvenile listening in to a police scanner, while scoping out belongings at a suburban home.

The boy was caught on camera with another juvenile while walking through a Kirwan backyard at the weekend.

The footage shows him bring what appears to be a radio scanner covered in a thin material up to his ear and listen intently.

A police source told the Bulletin they suspected more juveniles had their hands on scanners, saying it was frustrating officers on the ground.

Possessing a police scanner is not a criminal offence, but they are often used in situations where crime is committed, including property crime and vigilante activity.

Townsville Chief Superintendent Craig Hanlon said he had no doubt these criminals had access to scanners, but police were on top of the problem and constantly improving their business to outsmart criminals.

“The introduction of our digital system means less talk across the radios,” Supt Hanlon said.

“We’ve always got to keep up to date on how we do business, as criminals are always changing their tactics.”

Supt Hanlon said the big jobs, including property crime operations, raids and tactical movements, were never broadcast.

“That’s always planned in advance. We meet and speak face-to-face, not on a radio channel.”

He said these juvenile criminals were not sophisticated operators, and police knew their patterns.

“It’s pretty unsophisticated stuff. If the suspects are listening, they’ll move around and try to avoid where police are.

“Criminals like to move in certain directions, and they don’t like travelling away from their areas.

“We just have to be mindful of the information that goes across the network.”