5-0 Radio Lite, a police scanner

My new favorite iPod app is 5-0 Radio Lite, an international and domestic police radio scanner. Right now, I'm listening to communication between dispatchers and law enforcement at Precinct 42, the Bronx. At 3am, Newark, NJ, can be quite a captivating scanner location to listen to.

At the heart of it for me is story telling similar to what might have been found at the height of the radio era when families would hover around the radio console. The communication and descriptions of people, locations and activities swirl in my head, making for compelling visual theater. Theater, I might add, that is never really resolved in course of scanner communication. Ultimately, some of the narratives are left to the listener to conclude.

To date, the Police Departments of Las Vegas, LA and San Diego provide a different cultural context in which to consider social issues affecting those communities.

The site also has a Twitter account.