Massachusetts State Police

 

Low band system

 

 Still used, but gradually being replaced by 800 MHz trunk system.  Most, if not all,  cruisers still have both 800 and low band radios.  It will still be several years before the 800 Mhz system in totally built out.

 

Channel                                              Frequency                          Assignment

1                                                           42.440                                  Statewide                 

2                                                           42.340                                  Troop A  Eastern Massachusetts

3                                                           42.400                                  Troop C  Central Massachusetts

4                                                           42.500                                  Troop D  Southeastern Massachusetts

5                                                           42.540                                  Car to Car, and General Headquarters

6                                                           42.460                                  Troop B  Western Massachusetts

7                                                           42.420                                  Radar

                                                             42.380                                  Team 55 units

                                                             44.740                                  Governor's Auto Theft Strike Force

                                                             44.900                                  Governor's Auto Theft Strike Force

                                                             159.435                                MDC Quabbin Reservoir Patrols

 

PL for all low band channels is 141.3

 

 

State Police Codes

 

Code   Meaning

1           Standby for Emergency  (All units to stay off the air)

2           Phone your Barracks (also refers to Cell Phone capability)

3           Phone ________

4           Cruiser out of Service

5           Cruiser in Service

6           What is your Location

7           Return to your Barracks

8           Stopping suspicious Car

9           Listing (Registration Info)

10         Stolen Check

11         License Data

12         Any Message for me

13         Radio Test

14         Missing or Wanted  (also known as M&W)

15         Officer In Trouble

16         Investigation  (Motor Vehicle Accident)

17         Clear

18         Permission to leave Patrol

22             Cellular Caller

 

Non code lingo used by the MSP

 

In addition to the official codes, the listener will often hear other, less official lingo on the MSP system.

 Here are some of the more commonly used terms.

 

Alternate high speed lane                  Break down lane.  Used a bit more ironically.

BDL                                                        Break down lane.

High roller                                             Vehicle traveling at high rate of speed, usually 80 MPH or faster.

Kept on marching                                Usually indicates a hit and run driver or other offender that didn't stop.

Make the flip                                         To reverse directions on limited access highways.

Off road cruiser                                    Used on the Mass Pike, indicates local PD unit, or SP cruiser not

                                                                assigned to the pike.

 

 

800 MHz System

 

The Massachusetts State Police are currently in the process of completing construction and implementation of an 800 MHz trunking system statewide. It is actually several systems,

with each Troop having multiple talk groups. Because this is a Smart Zone system, units from one troop can operate on their own talk groups while within another troops

geographic area. For example, Talk Group 33968, which is Troop D1 and D4, is often heard on the Troop A and H trunk system.. Below I have listed the current (February 2008) Trunk Tracker IDs.  For up to date information, I suggest that the reader visit Eastern Massachusetts Trunking System Information . In addition to the Mass. State Police, there are several other 800 MHz systems listed on this site.

 

In addition to the 800 MHz trunk systems, many agencies have access to the following nationwide 800 MHz Intersystem

 tactical frequencies which are available to police, fire, and EMS.  The PL for all of the following channels is 156.7.

 

     I-TAC Call   866.0125

     I-TAC 1        866.5125

     I-TAC 2        867.0125

     I-TAC 3        867.5125

     I-TAC 4        868.0125

 

The Mass State Police also have two conventional repeater frequencies and one simplex frequency in use.

The repeaters are located at various sites in the states. The frequencies are as follows;

 

SP RPT-1   868.9375  141.3    Locations Vary

SP-RPT-2   868.9500  141.3    Locations Vary

DIRECT     868.9625  141.3

 

These repeaters are installed in central MA, at the MWRA Quabbin Reservoir.

The State Police inherited responsibility for patrolling this area after the merger with the MDC Police in 1992.

 

 

Frequency                             PL                           Use

 

854.0375                                 123.0                       MWRA TAC-15 (Quabbin North Repeater)

854.0375                                 146.2                       MWRA TAC-15 (Quabbin South Repeater)

854.0375                                 146.2                       MWRA TAC-16 (Simplex)

853.8375                                 146.2                       MWRA TAC-14 (Watchusett Repeater)

853.8375                                 146.2                       MWRA TAC-16 (Simplex)

  

 

Statewide Talk Groups

 

The MSP is changing many of the former troop wide special operations talk groups into state wide talk groups.

The new listing is as follows. Other talk groups may follow

 

35792                      Talk Around in Greater Boston area

35472                      Statewide Car to Car/Air Unit to Car

33360                      SOPS 1    old    SOPS 1A

33488                      SOPS 2    old    SOPS 1H

33680                      SOPS 3    old    SOPS 1B

33712                      SOPS 4    old    SOPS 2B

33872                      SOPS 5    old    SOPS 1C

33904                      SOPS 6    old    SOPS 2C

34096                      SOPS 7    old    SOPS 1D

34128                      SOPS 8    old    SOPS 2D

 

 

                     

State Police Barracks Locations

 

 

 

Troop A    (Metro North, Northeastern Massachusetts)

A HQ                             Danvers

A-1                                 Andover

A-2                                 Newbury

A-3                                 Concord

A-4                                 Medford

A-5                                 Revere

A-6                                 Danvers

A-9                                 Radio Repair

A-11                               Emergency Management (Framingham)

 

Troop H   (Boston, Metro West, South West Metro)

H-1                                 Beacon Hill, Boston

H-2                                 Framingham

H-3                                 Foxboro

H-4                                 Boston

H-5                                 Brighton

H-6                                 South Boston

H-7                                 Milton

 

Troop A/H Trunk Frequencies (Greater Boston)

 

860.9875  Control

860.9625  Control

860.7375

860.7125

859.7125

858.9875

857.9875

857.7125

856.9625

856.7125

 

In addition to these frequencies, Troop A and H cruisers can be heard on the IntelliRepeater sites listed under Troop E.

 

Troop A and H Trunk Tracker IDs.

 

ID                                                                                      Use

33168                             State Police Troop A "A-PTL-1"  (North - A1, A2, A3, A6)

33200                             State Police Troop A "A-PTL-2" (South - A4, A5)

33232                             State Police Troop A "A-PTL-3" (Car to Car)

34192                             State Police Troop A “GANG A”

33520                             State Police Troop A "DET- A" (Troop A BIS)

33424                             State Police Troop A "TRAF-A"  (Truck Team, Registry Units)

34512                             State Police Troop A Special Services Section

34832                             State Police Troop A GATSF (Governor's Auto Theft Strike Force)

33264                             State Police Troop H "H-PTL-1" (North - H1, H4, H5, H6)

33296                             State Police Troop H "H-PTL-2" (South - H2, H3, H7)

33328                             State Police Troop H "H-PTL-3" ( Car to Car)

33392                             State Police Troop F  "F-PTL-1" (Troop F, Logan Airport Details)

33552                             State Police A/H All Talk Groups

36336                             Greater Boston Local Public Safety "LOC-PS-1" (Special Events)

36368                             Greater Boston Local Public Safety "LOC-PS-2" (Special Events)

35152                             Governor's Security

34672                             MSP Boston CPAC (Attorney General)

34224                             I-93 High Occupancy Vehicle Lane (HOV) Operations

 

Troop B   (Western Massachusetts)

B (HQ)                            Northampton

B-1                                 Lee

B-2                                 Shelburne Falls

B-3                                 Springfield

B-4                                 Cheshire

B-5                                 Russell

B-6                                 Northampton

 

The Troop B 800 system is still under construction. . The area along the I-91 corridor is trunked, and

 the trunk on Mt. Greylock is active. Lee (B-1) is operating on ITAC-3. Russel (B-5) is still on low band,

 with some activity on the 800 direct frequency.

 

Troop B Frequencies

Active;

 

Mt. Tom (Holyoke)                  860.7875 Control, 859.7875 Control  , 858.7875, 857.7875, 852.2625

Mt. Greylock                             860.9875 Control , 860.7375 Control, 859.9875

Shelburne                                  860.2125 Control, 859.7375 Control , 854.9875, 858.9375, 856.4875, 858.7625

Mt. Toby (Sunderland)           856.2125 Control, 857.7625 Control, 855.2375, 860.2625, 860.7625, 859.2125

Warwick                                    860.9625 Control, 860.7125 Control , 859.7125, 856.9875

Bernardston                              859.9375 Control, 858.9875 Control , 857.9375 Control, 857.4375, 856.7375, 854.9625

 

Future;

 

Goshen                                      860.7625, 860.2375, 859.7625, 858.4875, 857.7125

Savoy                                         860.9375, 859.4875, 858.9875, 858.2375, 857.4875, 856.7125, 855.4875                                                      

Monterey                                  859.4875, 859.2375, 858.7875, 858.4875, 858.2375, 857.4875, 856.4875

Blanford                                     857.7875

Montague                                 858.9875, 857.9375, 857.4375, 856.7375, 854.9625

 

Troop B Trunk Tracker IDs

 

33584                             State Police Troop B "B-PTL-1"   B3, B6, B7

33616                             State Police Troop B "B-PTL-2" (Car to Car)

33648                             State Police Troop B "B-PTL-3"

34256                             State Police Troop B "SOPS 3 B"

33744                             State Police Troop B “Announce”

34736                             State Police Troop B "DETS B"

34640                             State Police Troop B Special Services Section

34800                             State Police Troop B Narcotics

34960                             State Police Troop B "B-GATSF" (Governor's Auto Theft Strike Force)

35280                             Governor’s Security

36592                             Western Mass Local Public Safety "LOC-PS-9" (Special Events, Tie to SP)

36624                              Western Mass Local Public Safety "LOC-PS-10" (Special Events)

 

In addition Troop E (Turnpike) traffic will appear on the B trunk as well as the MSP Statewide mobile to mobile talk group.

 

Troop C    (Central Massachusetts)

C (HQ)                            Holden

C-1                                 Athol

C-2                                 Milbury

C-3                                 Brookfield

C-4                                 Leominster

C-5                                 Sturbridge

C-6                                 Holden Substation

C-7                                 Belchertown - Quabbin

C-8                                 New Braintree Dispatch Center

C-9                                 Devens

 

Troop C Frequencies

System operates from multiple sites, not all frequencies are at all sites. The primary site operates on the following frequencies; 

 860.8375    Control

 860.4625

 859.3625

 857.2375

 856.2375

 855.6125

 855.1625

 

There are several secondary sites, which serve to provide coverage for portable radios in areas

where they cannot reach the primary receiver sites.

As a rule, these frequencies do not need to be programmed into a scanner to receive Troop C traffic.

 

855.2125     855.3625     855.3875     855.4125      855.6625     855.6875

855.8625     855.9125     855.9375     857.2125

858.2125     858.2875     859.2125     859.2375     859.2875      859.4625

860.2125     860.2375     860.2875     860.3625   

 

Troop C Trunk Tracker IDs

 

33776                       State Police Troop C "C-PTL-1"   C1, C4, C6, C9 Primary

33808                       State Police Troop C "C-PTL-2"   C1, C4, C6, C9 Secondary

33840                       State Police Troop C "C-PTL-3"   C2, C3, C5, C7* Primary

34448                       State Police Troop C "SOPS- 3C" C2, C3, C5, C7* Secondary

34480                       State Police Troop C Detectives

34608                      MSP Troop C Special Services Section

34928                       MSP Troop C GATSF (Governor's Auto Theft Strike Force)

33936                      Troop C All Talk Groups

36528                      Central Mass Local Public Safety "LOC-PS-7" (Special Events, Tie to SP)

36560                      Central Mass Local Public Safety "LOC-PS-8" (Special Events)     

 

C7 will continue to use 868.9375 MHz 141.3 Hz until the system is completed. 

 

 

Troop D  (Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod)

D  HQ                             Middleboro

D-1                                 Norwell

D-2                                 South Yarmouth

D-3                                 North Dartmouth

D-4                                 Middleboro

D-5                                 Oak Bluffs (Martha's Vineyard)

D-6                                 Nantucket

D-7                                 Bourne                                   

 

Troop D Frequencies except Cape Cod.

859.8375 Control

859.2875 Control

858.3625

855.9125                          

855.8875                       

855.6625

855.6375                          

855.3625

 

Troop D Frequencies Upper Cape Cod

860.4625      

860.2375 

860.2125 Control

859.2375

859.2125

858.2125

857.2625

857.2375

854.2125

 

Troop D Frequencies Lower Cape Cod

856.2625

856.2375

856.2125

857.2125

852.3625

868.5000

867.6250

866.6000

857.2125  Control

856.2625

856.2375

856.2125 Control

853.0375

853.5000

852.6250

852.3625

851.6000

 

Note that the upper and lower Cape systems will be re-engineered into one Cape wide system using

a single control channel and all of the 14 available frequency pairs. When this happens,  listeners will have to

 reprogram scanners to only have one system for the entire Cape.

 

Troop D Trunk Tracker IDs

33968                              State Police Troop D "D-PTL-1" (D1, D4, DHQ)

34000                             State Police Troop D "D-PTL-2" (D3)

34032                             State Police Troop D "D-PTL-3" (D2,  D5, D6, D7)

34064                             State Police Troop D "D-PTL-4" (Lower Cape)

34288                             State Police Troop D BIS (Bristol County)

34544                             State Police Troop D Special Services Section

34704                             MSP Bristol/Plymouth CPAC (Attorney General)

34864                              MSP Troop D GATSF (Governor's Auto Theft Strike Force) Southeastern Mass

34896                             MSP Troop D GATSF (Governor's Auto Theft Strike Force  Cape Cod and Islands)

34161                             State Police Troop D ATG (All D1/3/4/7 Talk groups)

36400                             Bristol/Plymouth County Local Public Safety "LOC-PS-3" (Special Events, Tie

                                                  to SP)

36432                             Bristol/Plymouth County Local Public Safety "LOC-PS-4" (Special Events)

36464                             Cape Cod Local Public Safety "LOC-PS-5" (Special Events, Tie to SP)

36496                             Cape Cod Local Public Safety "LOC-PS-6" (Special Events)

 

Troop E (Turnpike)  VHF and 800 system

E  HQ                              South Boston Operations Control Complex (OCC)

E-1                                  Weston  - Interchange 11 (Grafton) to Interchange 19 (Allston-Brighton)

E-2                                  Charlton – Interchange 11 to Interchange 7 (Ludlow)

E-3                                  Westfield -  Ludlow to New York State Line

E-4                                  Sumner, Callahan, Williams Tunnels, Turnpike Extension from Interchange 19

 I-93 from Mass Avenue Corridor to Zakim-Bunker Hill Bridge, Leverett Circle/Storrow Drive

 

Frequency

PL

Use

159.030

110.9

Turnpike Extension

159.030

162.2

Turnpike East (miles 85-124)

159.225

88.5

Turnpike Central  (miles 25-85)

159.030

131.8

Turnpike West  (miles 0-25)

159.030

141.3

Sumner and Callahan Tunnels

159.030

82.5

Ted Williams Tunnel

154.920

CSQ

MSP Portable F2 (Portable to Portable)

154.920

203.5                   

MSP Portable F1*

155.475

 

MSP Portable F3 (National Intercity)

                       *(Repeats Low band troop channel through cruiser radio)

 

The State Police have assigned several talk groups on the 800 MHz system to Troop E.

 As most of the I-93 and I-90 tunnels in Boston have been finished, radio traffic on the 800 system has increased.

Troop  E has assumed responsibility for all of the new roadway, as well as the Callahan, Sumner, and

Ted Williams tunnels in addition to the new sections of the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Troop E traffic can be heard on the Troop B and Troop C trunks as well as the frequencies listed below and the

 Troop A/H trunk.

There are several IntelliRepeater sites within Boston to provide coverage in the I-90 and I-93 tunnels. The frequencies are as follows. 

 

Ted Williams Tunnel

 

860.7375  Control

859.9875

859.7125

857.9875

856.7375

 

I-90 Turnpike Extension to Ted Williams Tunnel

 

860.2375 Control

859.2375 Control

858.2125

857.2625

 

I-93 Liberty Tunnel

 

857.2125 Control

855.9375 Control

855.4125

855.2125

 

Troop E Talk Groups

 

33456                             E Patrol 1 (Main Turnpike west of I-93 Newton)

35600                             E Patrol 2

35632                             E Patrol 3

35824                             E Patrol 4 (Extension, I-93 tunnels, Ted Williams Tunnel)

35856                             E Patrol 5

35664                             E SOPS 1

35696                             E SOPS 2

35728                             E SOPS 3

41872                             Tow trucks and emergency response on the new roads.

 

Troop F  (Logan Airport)

Troop F operates on the Mass. Port Authority system, so they share the frequencies with multiple other users.
This system was recently converted to a Motorola Type II system and some Talk Groups were added. 
Troop F also has a talk group (33392)  on the A/H trunk system. This is used by outside troopers
doing paid details on airport property. Station F has two consoles, one for the MassPort system
and one for the MSP system.

 

860.8125    860.4375   Control                  860.2625

859.8125    859.4375   Control                  859.2625

858.8125    858.4375   Control                  858.2625

857.8125    857.4375   Control                  856.8125

855.8125    856.4375                                  855.0625

 

 

Trunk Tracker IDs.  These are the public safety related Talk Groups.

"Facilities" is important to listen to during any "Alert" at the airport.

 

 

16            Operations ATG?

48            Operations

144          Call In Communications

176          Emergency 1

208          Emergency 2

528          Massport Fire ATG?

560          Massport Fire Ops

592          Massport Fire Fireground

624          Massport Fire Training

656          Massport Fire Hazmat

688          Massport Fire ?

1040        State Police Troop F ATG?

1072        State Police Troop F

1104        State Police Troop F TAC 1

1136        State Police Troop F ?

1168        State Police Troop F ?

1584        Facilities-1 (street)

1616        Facilities-2 (tarmac)

1648        Facilities-3 (electrical)

 

Other State Police Call signs

 

Station G                       General Headquarters - Framingham

Station J1                      Detectives Assigned to Attorney General's office                 mobiles are 5-49J

Station J2                      Hampshire/Franklin County CPAC                                            mobiles are 50-79J

Station J3                      Diversion Investigation Unit                                                      mobiles are 80-99J

Station N1                     Major Crime Unit                                                                          mobiles are 5-24N

Station N2                     Worcester County CPAC                                                           mobiles are 25-54N              

Station N3                     Criminal Investigation Unit                                                  mobiles are 55-79N

Station N4                     Narcotics Investigators                                                              mobiles are 80-99N

Station N5                     Asset Forfeiture                                                                            mobiles are 100-109N

Station R1                     Berkshire County CPAC                                                              mobiles are 5-24R

Station R2                      Barnstable/Dukes County CPAC                                              mobiles are 30-54R

Station R3                      Middlesex County CPAC                                                           mobiles are 55-84R

Station R4                     Criminal Information System                                                       mobiles are 85-99R

Station X1                     Special Services Section                                                              mobiles are 16-55X

Station X2                     Bristol County CPAC                                                                   mobiles are 56-80X

Station X3                     State Office of Investigations                                                     mobiles are 81-99X

Station Y1                     Norfolk County CPAC                                                                 mobiles are 5-24Y

Station Y2                     Essex County CPAC                                                                    mobiles are 25-44Y

Station Y3                     Suffolk County CPAC                                                                  mobiles are 45-64Y

Station Y4                     Special Investigation Unit                                                           mobiles are 65-79Y

Station Y5                     Hamden County CPAC                                                                mobiles are 80-99Y

Station Z1                     Governor's Auto Theft Task Force                                            mobiles are 5-29Z

Station Z2                     Salvage Title Unit                                                                         mobiles are 30-49Z

Station Z3                     Not assigned yet                                                                          will be 50-64Z

Station Z4                     Racing Unit                                                                                    mobiles are 65-74Z

Station Z5                     Plymouth County CPAC                                                             mobiles are 75.-99Z

Station Z6                     State Fire Marshall                                                                       mobiles are 100-249Z

Sierra Units                   STOP Team

Whiskey Units             Air wing

Kilo Units                     K-9 Units                                                                                        cruiser # followed by Kilo

 Tango                        Truck Unit Base                                                                               cruiser # followed by   Tango

Victor                             Motorcycle Unit Base                                                                  cruiser # followed by Victor

Lima Units                    Marine Unit

Mike Units                    Mounted Unit

Poppa                            Driver-Vehicle Investigations

Airbase Norwood

Airbase Chicopee

 

 

 Non State Police users of the MSP trunk

 

Talk Group            User                                                          Trunk(s)

 

8272          Plymouth  County Sheriff                                A/H

9264            Norfolk County Sheriff                                          A/H

9328            Bristol County Sheriff                                           A/H

9744            Logan Airport Tie                                                  A/H

9262            Department of Corrections                                A/H

34992        State Fire Marshall  (East)                                      A/H

35024          State Fire Marshall  (South)                                 D

35088          State Fire Marshall  (Central)                               C

35120        State Fire Marshall  (West)                                   B

37040        State wide Prisoner Transport                              ALL

38928        MEMA (East)                                                          A/H

38960        MEMA (South)                                                       D

38992        MEMA (Central)                                                     C

39024        MEMA (West)                                                        B

39152        Environmental PD CH 1                                         ALL

39184        Environmental PD CH 2                                         ALL

39216        Environmental PD CH 3                                         ALL

39312        Parole Board  (East)                                                A/H

39344        Parole Board  (South)                                             D

39376        Parole Board  (Central)                                           C

39408        Parole Board  (West)                                              B