Fort Worth P25 - All of PD will be encrypted.

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redhelmet13

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All of FWPD will be encrypted on the P25 system. They purchased the encryption option for all PD radios and when they switch to the new system, no more in the clear transmissions. FD did not purchase the encryption options. Listen while you can, this time next year is the target to be migrated. (Spent some time at the backup FAO tonight).
 

n5ims

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All of FWPD will be encrypted on the P25 system. They purchased the encryption option for all PD radios and when they switch to the new system, no more in the clear transmissions. FD did not purchase the encryption options. Listen while you can, this time next year is the target to be migrated. (Spent some time at the backup FAO tonight).

OK so the PD bought the encryption option for their radios. Does that guarantee that 100% of their transmissions will use encryption? Generally not, but do you have any hard evidence that there will be "no more in the clear transmissions"? I can see why they may need encryption for SWAT, Spec Ops, and some other channels (having it on all radios guarantees that it'll be available when a traffic cop is assigned to assist with that special operation) so it's easy to justify their purchase, but doesn't prove the "sky is falling" assumption that everything will use it.
 

cylonraider

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Encryption

This is an important announcement then. This could render all my scanning equipment useless! How reliable is your source? I would imagine that unless it comes from the city radio shop then its nothing to worry about. PD and Fire can speculate all the want but I'm sure their radio shop has final say as they are probably the ones purchasing the equipment.
 

kruser

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This is an important announcement then. This could render all my scanning equipment useless! How reliable is your source? I would imagine that unless it comes from the city radio shop then its nothing to worry about. PD and Fire can speculate all the want but I'm sure their radio shop has final say as they are probably the ones purchasing the equipment.

I'd say it is the Chief of Police that has the final say in these matters. And also possibly the Mayor who must explain to the people why they needed to spend this extra money for the addded encryption modules. I'd bet much of that stuff is hidden in the contracts but those should be public record of the public is paying for it. Understanding the terminology used in some of the contracts may be hard for the laymen but not impossible to figure out.

At least all the published cases I've read have said it was the Chief's decision. The radio shops work for the cities usually and only do what they are told. They usually don't have much say in what the Chief wants unless something is physically impossible.
Now the radio shop should know the details of the system and what it will contain but they do not necessarily need to know if everything will be encrypted or not. They just need to make sure the radios are programmed to be able to use it.

They have been saying the P25 system for St. Louis City, MO is to be fully encrypted. Some of it is but not a lot. Now there is a new date floating around that our system will be fully encrypted by years end. I think they said the same thing last year and it never happened. Perhaps they mean that all radios will be capable of it by years end but I'm not sure that means they will actually use it on a systemwide scale. If they do, oh well, I can't do anything about it and will find other things to monitor until everything government related goes the way of encryption.
I really think that is what our federal government is pushing for in my eyes.
They keep announcing these nationwide digital systems and you can bet they will make encryption mandatory on them at some point in time.
 
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trunkerman63

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Yep they can block us scanner hobbyists two ways: encryption and ProVoice. Abilene is ProVoice.
GOT us! I get the Dyess Air Force Base stuff in the 380 range and it is digital, but a lot of it is also encrypted, kind of split up. I think it's mostly security for them, that is encrypted.
 

6520tkp

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Ft.Worth PD Ecryption

IF this does happen, how will that effect other agencies that use Ft. Worth's system?

Does the Encryption apply to Ft. Worth only or the whole system?
 

NC5267

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I have been told by sources from agencies in the past that their radios are going to be encrypted and it turns out that they just went to P25(sometimes some people don't know the difference). Austin is one example, I was told by a high up in the PD that there radios were going to be encrypted before they went to their current system, and they are not. By the time a system gets implemented a lot can happen
 

K5TXC

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That's bad news ED, wonder if any of the Code Blue folks would have any influence with the Chief?
 

redhelmet13

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The Chief is from Phoenix where they also use encryption on PD (at least when I was there a few years ago). My understanding is they purchased the encryption option for all FWPD radios. (Code Blue/COPS have FWPD issued radios). FD did not purchase encryption. The cost I was told was about $500.00 per radio to add the "E" word. I would love to get a list of the new radio id's for the FD radios on P25... Gary, PM me, I have some additional info that I will keep "off the air" Give me your cell# and I will share it with you. to those reading this, nothing to add to the topic by the way... I have mixed feelings about encrypting patrol channels since there are COP patrollers who have scanners and no PD radio when they are not on patrol. Gotta love the feds project Safecom.
 
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cylonraider

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ID's

You'll have to excuse my ignorance but what would be the purpose to having all of the ID's from the FD radios? Is that something I need to get a hold of to make it possible for me to scan the P25 fire radios or is it needed for the encryption? I just got a home patrol a week or so ago in anticipation of the fort worth system going to P25. I'm new to scanning and this whole P25 thing.
 
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