In the US it was legal to listen to anything on radio as long as you didnt
profit or break the law using the info you heard. We sold tons of scanners
especially to older folk. Great entertainment. Cops didnt mind them, they
got lots of help from an informed public. Some towns used scramblers
but there were add on descramblers. Scrambled talk was usually ordering
a pizza pick up !
In the 70's I was a "special" cop & had a 1972 Olds Toronado land yacht.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YEVmUJgJ9c
Used that to aid when we heard something on the scanner. Nobody ever
caught on. Unmarked were usually plain Fords or Chevys. Car was a FWD
so had a huge space for radios. I had a SSB CB, 3 band scanner, B&W TV,
H.H. Scott home stereo that ran on 12 volts & an in dash 8-track AM/FM.
If on duty also picked up a handy talky at the station if I wasnt riding
shot gun in a cruiser. Lots of stories from those good old days.
73 Zeno
LFOD !