Scanner seconded. Go to radio reference and look up whats being used in your AO, could be a simple system, analog trunk, digital trunk or encrypted. Analog trunking capable can run ~$150, Digital trunking ~$500. I moved to the north end of the city and am in another county which now has digital trunking but I'm still within the city limits so the first responders here I can hear on the analog trunk scanner. If we hear/see/sense anything funny I turn on the scanner and listen. Even if it does make it to the local news I'm still ahead of them.