Camden Courier-Post – February 23, 1938
System Adopted for Radio Cars to Prevent ‘Tipoffs’ to Lawbreakers
Important messages relayed through W3XAQ, the Camden police radio station, are being broadcast in code beginning yesterday to prevent lawbreakers from· being “tipped off” as to activities of police.
That announcement was made by Police Chief Arthur Colsey, who declared he had, received information to the effect that “at least one” Camden garage has a police receiving set and that several were believed installed in Camden homes.
The police official said it is unlawful to have a radio receiving set of the type used only by police in an automobile, garage or private home and he has ordered a probe to locate the “bootleg” sets. The system used by the Camden police is ultra low frequency and cannot be intercepted by ordinary low wave sets.
The code used by the station is in the hands of all radio car patrolmen, Chief Colsey said, and every policeman is expected to be able to decode messages from police headquarters.
The code is similar to one being used by major police departments throughout the country.
Chief Colsey said 10 two-way radio sets have been installed in Camden police cars, and eight one-way sets. Two of the one-way sets have been placed in city patrol wagons, to enable police headquarters to be in touch with the “wagon” at all times, whether it is parked at its station or “on a run.”
The two-way sets enable the radio patrolmen to converse with police headquarters at all times. They have been in operation for three weeks.
Colsey announced that 75 Camden policemen have passed the third class radio operator’s test, required by the Federal State Radio Communications Commission, enabling them to operate the two-way system.
Join the discussion!