I can hear police radio communications with my FRS radio
I’m listening to FRS channel 6 on a cheap bubble pack walkie talkie radio, and I can clearly listen to the L.A. Sheriff’s Department. They’re busy following two females at the moment.
Let’s just hope that some criminal doesn’t have an FRS radio like mine so he can listen to them as well. Those radios are just so cheap to buy, anyone could afford one or two.
Oh, and this isn’t just an occasional incident, it’s a 24-7 thing.
Should I report it to the FCC or the LASD?
The Sheriff’s Department covers a very large area so they use many different frequencies. Occasionally one may "bleed over" and if it really bothers you, then report it. I doubt anything will be done about the situation from one single complaint. Otherwise just enjoy the show.
What you are experiencing with your cheap FRS handheld radio is called bleedthrough, and it happens when your radio receiver gets overwhelmed by a nearby radio signal that is so strong the radio’s circuitry is unable to filter out the unwanted signal. So you hear them talking on your radio.
If you investigated further, you would probably discover that the Sheriff’s department has a radio repeater or a base station antenna very close to where you live.
Better-quality two way radios, costing a hundred dollars or several hundred dollars, have the circuitry to reject very strong unwanted signals. The cheap radios hear all the junk, just like most TV sets pick up nearby transmitters quite often.
I don’t see much point in trying to notify the FCC, but the LASD might be interested to know their signals are breaking through in your neighborhood. But I doubt they will thank you for bringing it to their attention.
The Sheriff’s signals are not being broadcast on FRS channel 6, they are just breaking through on your cheapie radio wherever you live. Don’t feel bad about it. These radios are made in China and built as cheaply as possible for the importer. Quality doesn’t come into the equation.