The Intersection of Education and Law: Understanding Police Scanners

As the landscape of global education continually shifts towards technology, academic institutions across the world, including Brilliant PU College, are taking it upon themselves to incorporate these changes into their respective curricula. As we continue to examine new avenues for learning, it’s also important to understand the legal ramifications associated with them and how they’re situated within a legal framework. In this article, we’ll examine the ways in which educational tools jive with the law, specifically with commonly-utilized technology like the legality of police scanners in Michigan.

The ability to connect directly to police and emergency responder frequencies via online frequencies has provided an all new way to learn about the law from a distance. Through this technology, we gain access to information otherwise restricted, and can come to a greater understanding of decisions made by emergency responders. For any aspiring law enforcement officer or attorney, understanding what it means to respond to a potential legal issue is crucial to any career in this field. But before we jump into the practical applications of technology, let’s take a look at the law.

A quick search online provides us with various articles on the current legality of police scanners in Michigan. These articles generally conclude that the use of police scanners in Michigan is legal for public use, but restricted via a special license. Because certain frequencies are considered private and fall under privacy laws, using a police scanner for anything other than educational purposes is illegal. For anyone interested in pursuing a career in law, having prior criminal knowledge is crucial when it comes to understanding the legal system and honing important skills.

The problem with simply providing students with information based on the law is that there’s no real avenue for students to put this knowledge into action. Students should be taught that while they can access and use this information for educational purposes, they must keep in mind the context of sensitive matters like the destruction of private documentation. This, combined with educational tools, is complimented by further academic studies into the criminal justice system.

In real world applications, the law also restricts what any incoming student can do to prevent interference with any ongoing legal matter. For example, anyone recording a police incident involving law enforcement is considered a potential threat, and this information can be used to charge someone with a crime if it’s believed said individual is impeding the work of any law enforcement professional. This maxim applies to anyone possessing a police scanner-it’s not illegal to own one, but it is illegal to use one in the wrong context.

From a law enforcement perspective, the use of police scanners is restricted, and therefore, so is the use of police scanners from any educational facility. This is where most people run into trouble-the application of law to real world situations. Also, to be considered is what actually constitutes a “real world” situation. Most students use police scanners to enforce their belief that knowledge is power, and that the more information they have, the better off they’ll be in their future careers. As an educational institution, we can provide this information via police scanners (including in a police-scanner-equipped smart classroom). It’s up to students to use this information respectably.

Whereas a police scanner is useful to students because it provides raw information about police vehicles, many students misapply this medium and use it to spy on criminal situations. Keep in mind that Brilliant PU College presents students with the academic tools they need and that any misuse of this technology (given our technological climate) is subject to applicable laws.

For many students, being able to interact with police scanners is a gateway to a new way of learning. Once students are allowed to execute information for themselves, they learn it better. This is true for any profession. But when students ignore guidelines for using online police scanners inappropriately, they may find themselves up against the law, and therefore ineligible for practicing as law enforcement professionals.