And The Troubles Begin

[AnneMacCat]

One day into DCMPD Encryption: News story from ABC7 Radio encryption hampers policing, sources say | WJLA.com
This is insane. What good will come of this?

 

[brownlab]

I am beginning to think that maybe Chief Lanier has not spent a lot of time in her radio shop or has spoken with her radio techs. I wonder if she was aware that PG is currently using the P25 Phase 2 (X2 actually) TDMA/FDMA system and although there should be interoperability between DC and PG at least on paper, programming the PG radios with the DC encryption codes may be a time consuming and expensive effort. FDMA works with TDMA but I don't know what happens when you add encryptions in the equation. Maybe she did not either. In any case, if she truly believes that some punks were monitoring random DC traffic police traffic on a cell phone app (since you cannot really lock in on any one frequency on a cell phone with a scanner app, at least I do not think you can) then this has been a huge over reaction on her part. An expensive one at that.

 

[gesucks]

DC is using and has DES in their radios.
PG is using and has AES in their radios.
DC is not paying for AES and PG is not paying for DES.

Does not matter if their share their codes.

 

[brownlab]

DC is using and has DES in their radios.
PG is using and has AES in their radios.
DC is not paying for AES and PG is not paying for DES.

Does not matter if their share their codes.

Good Point

 

[OCO]

From my reading, it takes a heck of a lot more than just stuffing a key in to put a subscriber radio from one system on another system. Are these agencies using any type of RFsystem interface (ISSI?) to coordinate subscriber movement onto each others systems (if the encryption types were even the same)? Sounds to me like the Chief got fed a line that may blow back in somebody's face if the press keeps the issue in front of the public.

 

[Kumba]

You know, I will honestly laugh if it was me getting pulled over in DC a few months ago that prompted this. The officer saw my scanner and asked what it was, and I said "Oh, a scanner. But I don't usually listen to you guys. Just my home county."

 

[zerg901]

Is there some way to save that video and to make sure that it stays online forever?

 

[ResQguy]

From my reading, it takes a heck of a lot more than just stuffing a key in to put a subscriber radio from one system on another system. Are these agencies using any type of RFsystem interface (ISSI?) to coordinate subscriber movement onto each others systems (if the encryption types were even the same)? Sounds to me like the Chief got fed a line that may blow back in somebody's face if the press keeps the issue in front of the public.

ISSI requires P25, which DC is not.

 

[OCO]

ISSI requires P25, which DC is not.

OK, thanks.. I guess the point still is - sharing an encryption key, even if the systems were compatible would at the most would just put a new subscriber on the other system - no interoperability. I guess that means somebody would still be carrying two radios.....

Source of my misunderstanding on PG and DC systems:

 

[troychase]

The chief has finally lost her mind!!!! And how long do she think this encryption thing is going to last?