Those scanner apps are receiving the feeds from a website and, because of that, there is a significant delay. Not only that, but most major departments are using more than one channel and most feeds on those apps consist of all channels being run at one time. Those scanner apps–as to my knowledge–do not allow you to lock onto one channel for the “gangsta’s” to monitor as they’re committing their crimes. The gangsters may miss the anonymous reporting person observing them steal someone’s cash because “OPD Service channel” (Just makin’ that one up) is active with an officer running a DL, making it unable for you to lockout the service channel so you can hear the dispatcher sending the call on the main dispatch channel. The main reason why I eventually bought an actual police scanner was because I was missing calls in my area because other channels that the feed on my app consisted of more active channels.
Another reason not to use a police scanner to a commit a crime (in the state of CA):
CA Penal Code 636.5–Prohibits the use of a scanner during a crime.
[http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/calawquery?codesection=pen&codebody=&hits=20]

If the police forces want their channels secured, then why not use some of the unbelievable defense budgeting to by them some SINGCARS radios, which are secure, and easily transmit over a city, and easily network over a county, using frequency hop, etc.

Oh yeah, I forgot, we dont have a defense budget anymore because we spent it all on a useless war, (which I fought in).

Also, its too much work. Its much better to just pass a bill that bans open source applications for cell phones, which does nothing about protecting and serving the public.

Like it was said earlier, obtain a warrant to IP trace and use GPS location hardware to find known fugitives/criminals.

Its not the best solution… But, we already live with big brother anyway. If they are going to do it anyway, then get it over with already. All of this lobbying and politics behind the scenes is a load of crap anyway, and the public no longer has any confidence in our government anyway. Public relations is a waste of money now.

Here is a different one.
Posted 6/16/2010

Chesterton Tribune

Man charged with unlawful use of a police radio

A homeless man was arrested Tuesday on charges of unlawful use of a police radio and false reporting, Portage Police said.

Indiana Code 35-44-3-12 forbids a person from possessing a police radio unless specifically authorized to do so. Exceptions include law enforcement officers, a public service or utility company, those with amateur radio licenses issued by the FCC, a member of the news media, or a person “who uses a police radio only in the person’s dwelling or place of business.”
http://www.chestertontribune.com/PoliceFireEmergency/man_charged_with_unlawful_use_of.htm

“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.” –H. L. Mencken