STARKE, Fla. -- It's a police scanner like you've never heard it before.
That's right. The same frequency you'd normally expect on a bulky scanner is now being transmitted on your smart phone.
"Whatever the public's doing. Anytime, they can in on their phone," Captain Brad Smith said.
In other words, if you live in Bradford County, you can hear the same thing deputies and emergency responders do.
"We tapped into our audio source from the dispatchers where they're talking into a radio console. We tapped into that to be able to get audio on both sides," Sgt. Raymond Schuford said.
The live frequency can be accessed through the app "Tune In Radio." which is available for Android and iPhone. There's about a 30-second delay, but before you know it, scanner traffic pops up.
We're told when Sheriff Gordon Smith came into office, he was adamant about sharing information. His goal of Tune In is not only to keep folks in the know, but cut down on panicked inquiries to 911. Law enforcers consider it a win-win across the board.
"It's just a way for us to be open and transparent to the community," Smith said.
The best part is, it's absolutely free, from downloading the app to the Sheriff's Office not having to pay for the service.
We checked with other counties and learned Putnam also uses the technology. Clay, Duval and St. Johns do not.
