NHSP Encryption

[steele_lpd]

I'm not sure if other Troop Stations have started using encryption but I've noticed that some Troopers in Troop-F have started using it. The times that I have noticed the Troopers using encryption the dispatchers were not using it. I hope this is not going to become the norm.

[Asmitty0010]

encryption: a form of the plauge, cannot be stopped. No way around this one...

[jmarcel66]

Smitty is probably more right than I want to admit.

NHSP has been using P25 encryption for a few years, but it was originally limited to Troop-A. I'm gathering, with the troops consolidating and upgrading, the use has increased. I've heard Encrypted traffic on B, D/Hq, & E (during Bike week). So far seems specific units have it (selected double digit & troop units). The dispatchers so far never use it.

On the federal side, radio use is steadily increasing from past use of cell. Almost all have shown up encrypted from the get-go. HOWEVER, many are starting to go "in the clear" for reasons including radio age, multi-agency/office ops and in more & more cases, the newer radios aren't grabbing the code Over the air (OTA). So teams can't hear each other unless in the clear. Also on the federal side, I haven't heard any dispatchers ever use encryption.

[NYRHKY94]

A bit off topic (i.e. Not NHSP), but Hudson PD uses encryption for certain units and/or sensitive operations. When this happens, disptach is always in the clear.

[cja1987]

Originally Posted by steele_lpd

I'm not sure if other Troop Stations have started using encryption but I've noticed that some Troopers in Troop-F have started using it. The times that I have noticed the Troopers using encryption the dispatchers were not using it. I hope this is not going to become the norm.

I sure hope it does not become the norm.

When I was in Plymouth I only really heard Tenney and most often 7XX units, always in the clear. However when I would go for a ride out of my hell hole of a spot for reception I'd hear many 6XX units on Wash and they would be enc, dispatch in the clear. Had chalked up to weak P25 signal for a while (wishful thinking) but then it became too strong of a trend to ignore.

Started noticing this alot last spring. Have noticed a bit in D troop as well. I tried asking some units that I heard come up encrypted earlier in the day about it after I saw them out on the street in Plymouth talking but they told me they had no idea how the radios work just that they work. Was not going to say "well give it to me then so I can look at it" so that was the end of it.

I'm not in NH anymore unfortunately (Utah for now) but toward the end of my time there the SP encryption started to become a stronger trend then I wanted to admit to myself. I hope dispatch stays in the clear at least. Most NH local dispatches seem to have no intention of running enc beyond Hudson (which I believe migrated away from full time enc in favor of "part time" and Portsmouth which I hear is going full enc). I wonder if the main reason local dispatches stay in the clear is so the state police can get a jump on calls that they may need to assist on??? Especially rural dispatches like Plymouth where SP assistance seems often needed in a town they dispatch for. Many a time I heard troop F dispatch come up about some hot call in Plymouth only to have the trooper come back "copy direct over Plymouth en route". Locals seem to do it as well be it University police, town, whatever, I heard TONS of evidence of units scanning in their patrol cars.

You would hope it would work both ways but I guess not. What use do the troopers see for encryption? F troop territory is not exactly full of call chasers/pain in the ass news media/criminals who know enough to know that they need to steal a digital scanner, etc.

NH people, keep your ears open, Id like to know how this goes.

Rant over, sorry.

[Asmitty0010]

couldn't agree more. I don't see the benifit at all using FULLTIME encryption. I think it goes against everything homeland security, Project 25 etc stands for...interoperability. That is the great thing about radio, other agencies can copy, can get to more ears at once vs. a cellphones or other means of comm. Don't get me wrong though, encryption can be useful at times, but when i hear of agencies switching to fulltime encrypted radio communications they should save the money and hassle and use cellphones.

[steele_lpd]

I heard one of the 700 units run a 21/22 the other day... actually what I heard was a bunch of garbage and then the Troop-F dispatcher reply with 21/22 info. If the Trooper is using encryption to be stealthy then the dispatcher should have used it as well. It does have it's place... a great place for it, IMO, would be SWAT/SOU operations. As much as I would like to listen to that sort of thing, that is the one time you would not want the "bad guy" to know what's going on.

Alex hit the nail on the head as far as interop goes. How can they have interoperability if no one can hear what they're saying. Communication is the transfer of information with common understanding. If you can't understand what they're saying there's a break down in the communications.

[cja1987]

Originally Posted by Asmitty0010

couldn't agree more. I don't see the benifit at all using FULLTIME encryption. I think it goes against everything homeland security, Project 25 etc stands for...interoperability. That is the great thing about radio, other agencies can copy, can get to more ears at once vs. a cellphones or other means of comm. Don't get me wrong though, encryption can be useful at times, but when i hear of agencies switching to fulltime encrypted radio communications they should save the money and hassle and use cellphones.

Exactly, nothing a good old 10-9 can't keep private.

My local PD where I lived in Mass would simply go to cell phone if it got too sensitive. I'm not sure but I highly suspect MSP uses NEXTEL PTT for sensitive tactical ops since I have seen many of the plain clothes types carrying them.

I would understand encrypting radio for certain tactical purposes but IMO that stuff should be on designated channels to begin with and then the incident would have to be serious enough that a unit in command or dispatch moves it to a special channel.

Listening on the feed now, so far so good, in the clear. I guess we should be major league happy that encryption is not far more common in NH. Unlike most states, pretty much the entire state went P25 at once with easy/cheap to add (relative to the rest of the system) enc capabilities and not one PD in NH that I know of is running full encryption (anymore). See what happens in Portsmouth.

I hope the status quo remains, more NHSP units in field use enc than I would like, some times more than others but generally they are easy to follow and you know whats going on. NH has been P25 for a while, hopefully nobody sees any major need to change the status quo. Once it happens though, I do agree its like a tidal wave.

Anybody know if all NHSP dispatch has made the switch to Concord? A question I can never seem to find the answer to.

[steele_lpd]

Originally Posted by cja1987

Anybody know if all NHSP dispatch has made the switch to Concord? A question I can never seem to find the answer to.

Troop-F is still open 24/7 in Twin Mountain. Troop-E closes down at night and HQ takes over. I'm not sure about the other troops.

[cja1987]

Originally Posted by steele_lpd

Troop-F is still open 24/7 in Twin Mountain. Troop-E closes down at night and HQ takes over. I'm not sure about the other troops.

Thanks!

I guess a somewhat good sign then but ultimately who knows what they are doing with dispatch consoles, upgrades, etc. But my fear has always been that once it all goes to concord, they could do blanket enc for everyone. Maybe I'm just paranoid.

IMO Troop F should keep its own dispatch in Twin Mtn, come on, its the most rural part of the state, not all towns have a 24/7 PD station, in fact most don't, if they even have police at all. SP also dispatches the smaller locals as we know. F is a HUGE area, the dispatchers for it should be local and know the area well. Twin Mtn is pretty central to F territory, they patrol all the way up to Pittsburg which is still a good 1:45 hrs maybe 1:15 in a excrement hit the rotary blade situation.

Its one thing to consolidate A,B,D "Northern Mass" into one dispatch, they cover small areas even though there is more going on, its still less streets, towns, local PDs for the individual dispatchers to know.

C, E and especially F, I have a harder time agreeing with.