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7-104 - Radio Contact and Use

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7-104 - Radio Contact and Use

  • Summary: Provides regulations for officers using department radios.
  • Dates Effective: 09-26-2022 to 12-31-2025
  • Revision Type: PRH Implementation
  • View current policy

Radio Contact

  1. Officers working on the street (including when at lunch or any other break) shall be in radio contact at all times.
  1. Officers handling an assigned call shall remain available for emergency or higher priority calls by maintaining radio communication via a portable radio.

Use of Base Units

  1. Base unit radio transceivers located in divisions, precincts and units shall not communicate directly with their mobile or portable personnel or other base units, except on the designated car to car channel, or with the approval of MECC.
  1. For MECC approval to communicate directly, the base unit operator shall contact the dispatcher by radio and request use of the air for the necessary transmission.

Unnecessary Use of Radio or Mobile Data Computer (MDC)

  1. The police radio and MDC are for police business only. They shall not be used to conduct personal business or to transmit personal messages.
  1. MDC messages are public information and are subject to public disclosure.
  2. These communications are subject to the provisions in other policies that cover electronic communications, (such as the policies in P&P 5-100 Code of Conduct). Inappropriate language or remarks shall be immediately reported to a supervisor, Inspector or Commander, or Bureau Head.
  3. Communication about incidents over the radio or MDC shall only include the information, questions or comments necessary to handle or respond to the incident. Commentary shall not be included.
  1. Information checks shall be requested only on the channel designated for such purposes. In most instances, Channel 7 will be the designated channel. When requesting information from Channel 7 or the precinct base, officers should try to include the nature of service in the initial transmission ("Squad 320, REGISTRATION," wait for acknowledgment; then "Squad 320, David Adam Paul 543").
  2. Officers shall use Channel 5 or any other designated channel for non‑emergency squad-to-squad or squad-to-precinct radio communications.
  3. Requests for interoperable radio channels (MPD detail, Metro or State talk-groups) shall be made through the MECC Duty Supervisor.

Definitions

Refer to the Commonly Used Terms page for general definitions.

Document History:

Title Effective Date Revision Type Download
7-104 - Radio Contact and Use 09-26-2022

PRH Implementation

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7-104 - Radio Contact and Use 01-01-2026

PRH Implementation

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Revision Types and Descriptions

  • New: Policy had been added.
  • Combined: Two or more policies were merged.
  • Definitions Update: A glossary definition was updated.
  • Terms Update: A term, not necessarily tied to the glossary, was updated in the Manual.
  • Edited - Major: Significant content or procedural changes.
  • Edited - Minor: Small edits, clarifications, or formatting changes.
  • Renamed: Policy title changed.
  • Renumbered: Policy number was changed.
  • Split: Single policy was divided into multiple.
  • Eliminated: Policy was removed and is no longer in effect.
  • PRH Implementation: Edits for the Policy and Resource Hub; no content changes.