Originally Posted by
Rick
Every day, Beo. Part of the job. You can't go in and start working on lines without monitoring them. Someone could be talking to 911, their doctor, their priest, the suicide prevention line, whatever. You just have to do it. Once you're done, you have to check the lines for quality. People seem to be under the impression that private lines are somehow private. WRONG!! There is no law against monitoring a line. You just can't reveal what was said. That will get you in dutch for sure. I know guys that got fired over just that.
We had one guy that was a reserve deputy. He'd monitor the calls at a local bar that was known for drugs. When a shipment was coming in, the county was always there to meet it. It didn't take a couple of busts for folks to figure out what was going on. He got fired over that.
We also had an office guy that just happened to overhear about a huge shipment coming in. What a catch 22. He wanted to do the right thing but couldn't reveal what he had heard. Took the problem to his boss who suggested an anonymous phone call from an untracable line (you can do that inside), which he did. Made all the papers and no one knew how it went down. Not even the cops.
The farther the call travels (the more offices it goes through) the more chance of the call being monitored. We had a 4-12 shift in the toll center that one guy always worked. I worked outside and have gone in while out on overtime and he'd have calls up on the speaker just listening as he worked. "What's up?" I'd ask. "Quality check on toll," he'd say and just smile. Some calls are really hot, brother. And.....many times you know who the folks are because you know what house that line feeds. Especially if you work outside like I did.
Now, about that phone sex........