8/29/2008:

Completely bored and unmotivated to move, I decided to transcribe what a random hour is like on the air of the Live Hoboken Police and Fire Scanner.

I then decided that this is a pretty fun exercise, and will periodically compile hourly snap-shot nuggets of what is going on in our city (and what property tax dollars are paying for). Naturally, picking a mid-afternoon time slot on a holiday weekend won’t net any exciting reports, so I plan to do this again on more action-packed weekend nights.

Hoboken happenings 14:21 - 15:21 hours 8/29/2008

14:21 – Fire Alarm activation 38 Jackson Street. E5 L2 R1 155 were dispatched.
—— 14:23 – Command says pull station was accidentally activated by workers – companies return to service
14:22 - 81 Monroe – Apt. 3 – a “residential 10-5” (burglar alarm)
—— 14:27 – Maid service was scheduled to clean today, but didn’t have proper code. They left without cleaning. Owner notified.
14:23 – One police unit does a “building sweep” of 321 Harrison St. (this happens daily at various locations throughout the day)
14:24 – Ladder One notifies dispatch that it’ll be in service, but is currently engaged in “driver training”
14:25 – Another police unit is doing a detail check of church square park
14:28 - 503 Garden – vehicle check (or called a “10-39”)
—— 14:29Vehicle is valid, removed by owner, received warning - told not to park motorcycle on sidewalk anymore
14:30 – dispatch confirms 10th between Bloom and garden is closed
14:33 – HPD unit logged out at Newark and Hudson – traffic point.
14:37 – Unit notifies dispatch that TWO UPS trucks are blocking traffic, a bus gets stuck, and now all hell is about to break loose.
14:42 - more on the UPS trucks.. they’re blocking traffic so bad, that they cannot even get a tow truck in to remove them. Unit issues tickets, as they wait.
14:43 – McDonald’s payphone – 911 hangup.
—— 14:46 – unit arrived on scene, nobody is there, back in service
14:44 - 655 Jackson – vehicle check – valid 1995 accord – no action taken by police
14:45 – 10th st. now re-opened.
14:48 – one PD unit takes a brief break
14:52 - 133 Harrison Street – Parked vehicle check – 2001 Volvo from out of town – police issue ticket (blocked hydrant) – but no tow called
—— 14:59 – Tow now called
—— 15:18 – tow averted, owner removed vehicle
14:59 – Dispatch called unit 114 for a “10-12 inside” (i.e., report to headquarters)
15:04 – unit 303 takes a personal break

[Hoboken411 Bathroom Break]

15:04-15:16 – miscellaneous communications, status reports, follow up on vehicle checks, etc.
15:18 – unit 246 is asked to “10-11” (call) the desk (which means they don’t want to communicate this information over the airwaves)