Indianapolis police hold first test session

A growing number of police officers in Indianapolis have decided to get their ham radio licenses. This, after being told by their superiors in the department to remove all personal radio gear from patrol vehicles.

Now they are discovering that there's more to the hobby than idle chit chat. Some are so impressed that they are even helping to organize training and testing sessions for their fellow officers.

Amateur Radio Newsline's Jack Parker, W8ISH, has the latest:

As we first reported last February, the Indianapolis Metro Police Department has cracked down on road officers using Amateur Radios without a license. This comes following a complaint filed with the FCC by a local ham.

As a result, the Indianapolis Police Chief ordered all illegal radios removed from police cars until the officers became licensed radio hams. That forced dozens of Metro officers to race off to the nearest Amateur Radio book store.

Veteran police officer Dewey Runnels passed his test and helped organize a weekday test session for officers working Indy’s eastside district. Over sixty officers signed up to take the Technician Class license test.

This called for a response from the ham radio SWAT team. That stands for Swift Working Amateur Testers.
VE Dave Wendt-KA9OOH, recruited thirteen volunteer examiners from four Central Indiana counties to handle the overwhelming number of applicants. IMPD provided a training room, the officers lined up, produced an ID and put pen to paper to earn their Tech ticket. The centralized test session allowed officers from three different shifts an opportunity to work the exam into their work schedule.

Of those pre-registered only one third showed up to take the test. Sixty percent of the officers passed and now await their new amateur radio call signs.

Officer Dewey Runnels, KC9PIY, expects future test sessions to be better attended. He is excited about his new privileges and looks forward to a General Class upgrade.

KC9PIY: “I’ve talked to a couple of guys that have been able to talk to Canada, California and South America and I want to be part of that.”

Future weekday test sessions are being scheduled to accommodate the growing number of IMPD officers wishing to earn their Technician Class license.

Jack Parker W8ISH

• Don't look for these newly licensed police officer hams to be operating while on duty. Indianapolis Metro Police officials have renewed their original VHF radio license. They plan to give road officers at least 10 VHF channels. This, for point-to-point communications using department-approved radios.

Source: W8ISH, ARNewsline™