Hamptom pd permanent encryption

[digitalman]

Hampton pd permanent encryption

All hpd talkgroups are now permantley encrypted- this is effective 06/13/2011- Other TGs such as Sheriff and City TGs may also follow- unknow if Fire/EMS will employ encryption at this time

 

[SCPD]

wonder why? that sucks even though i dont listen to them nor have a digital scanner

 

[hamptonguy]

I'm sorry to hear that .... it was fun while it lasted. Where'd you get the info from?

 

[brownlab]

Sorry to hear that as well. Please let us know when they begin encrypting.

 

[fmon]

I'm keeping a 197 dedicated to Hampton and wondering also if their radios will shift to TDMA at the same time. If so, will turn the PSR-800 onto the system.

Though hard to say because some TG's have been ENC from the get go.

 

[digitalman]

Tdma

Hampton will begin to introduce TDMA protocols this month and utilizing 700 mhz as well

 

[brueger]

HPD Encryption

I am a retired Hampton FF/PM. I worked in the Hampton 911 center (ECC - Emergency Communications Center) as the FD liaison and FD communications officer for five years. Although retired, I still have frequent contact with the ECC and still have many friends and contacts within the PD. I first heard of the encryption plan as a rumor. I quickly started making phone calls and sending emails. I had it confirmed in just a few hours.

I was told by a high ranking police officer that this decision is for "officer safety." I believe this was a difficult decision as I think the police chief knows how much public safety benefits from law abiding scanner monitors. However, there are those who can and do use the scanner in a untoward manner.

I am also very close to the fire dept - I am a volunteer with one of the rescue squads and will shortly be joining one of the five fire companies. I have spoken with the acting fire chief and she has assured me that there are no plans to encrypt fire dispatch. (There is one fire talkgroup that is encrypted - Fire Marshall's Bureau.) The fire dept is about to have a new Fire Chief - things could change.

 

[hamptonguy]

While the dispatch talkgroups haven't gone encrypted just yet, both channels have switched to the encrypted tactical channels for the week. Wythe is operating on TAC4 and Chesapeake is operating on TAC5.

So that's pretty much it for listening in, aside from the occasional unit keying up on the wrong channel. I'm guessing that the radio maintenance folks are working on encrypting the primary talkgroups this week.

 

[fmon]

ALL Police TG are in fact ENC and still using System Type Phase 1 FDMA.

 

[fyrfytr869]

Encryption for Officer Safety

Well sounds like a lot of hog (BS) wash to me. 1st off, no street thug is going to be able to program any new digital scanner by pulling it out of a box and figuring it out on his or her own. 2nd, it takes many hours, days, months of dedicated monitoring to figure out who, what, where, when, how these radios operate and no criminal is going to sit around and take the time to learn the intricacies of this complicated monitoring system.
I would bet that if not so many people would post such valuable information freely onto the internet, that those in law enforcement management would not be wasting your tax dollars on those expensive encrypted radio systems.

Just a thought, 2 cents worth.

 

[brueger]

Hampton Encryption

fyrfytr869,

One does not have to have an expensive scanner. ANYONE with a smartphone can listen to ANY of the RadioReference feeds. The situation was demonstrated at a police line-up.

Brian Rueger

 

[fyrfytr869]

Delay

Have the transmissions to those smart phone apps delayed by 30 minutes, just like "live" television. TV does not need 30 minutes, but for "Officer Safety" put in a delay.

 

[digitalman]

Hampton Encryption

I agree the transparency of the police department is damaged by this decision- are thugs controlling hampton or rational people? Sensitive comms such as SWAT/Investigation are fine encrypted- but to blind the system completly causes an apperance of evil and "cover-up" whether it is intentional or not. This is a free country- or it was at one time- not any more- people are free to listen to what they want- but keep in mind YOUR communication/banking/internet- are open and fair game to be monitored without probable cause. I am sure those being taken to be gassed or burned in Germany thought that even while they were on the trains, everything would be ok too.

 

[brueger]

Hampton Encryption

Have the transmissions to those smart phone apps delayed by 30 minutes, just like "live" television. TV does not need 30 minutes, but for "Officer Safety" put in a delay.

fyrfytr869,

Are you aware of how the scanner feeds on RR work? For the most part the feeds are from volunteers across the country that supply the scanner, computer and their Internet connection. I am one of them - I stream Hampton Fire dispatch and have been doing it for nearly three years.

If you "delay" the feed, many off duty firefighters and police officers will loose their link to their departments. (A BC that lives in Williamsburg depends on my link to listen to dispatch when there is a working incident {he is out of radio range.})

(I will write more later.)

 

[Jim41]

fyrfytr869,

One does not have to have an expensive scanner. ANYONE with a smartphone can listen to ANY of the RadioReference feeds. The situation was demonstrated at a police line-up.

Brian Rueger

Brian,

Are you indicating that the existance of scanner feeds and smartphone apps was a factor in the decision to encrypt all PD talk groups?

Jim41

 

[brueger]

Hampton Encryption

That is the way I took it from my friend. The ease of which ANYONE with a smartphone can monitor - and not have to spend hundreds for a scanner. Of course someone make a good point earlier about these street dirtbags would have the intelligence to manually program one. However, I think they could figure out the software.

 

[mike2400]

Decryption

I understand where the police are coming from. And crooks using the radio reference app and similar apps have been able to use the scanner information to their advantage. I bet in the near future there will be legislation put in place to ban the streaming all together. I wonder if there are any decoders out there that are legal to decryp the encryption? This kind of thing signals the end of the good old days of scanning.

 

[digitalman]

Encryption

Whether is apps or iphones or gangs- ALL of that is not the issue- it is the government- and police represent agents of the government- see the public as a advesary and enemy- this is the real issue- legislation to block streams- which said legislation is not constitutional and will be challenged easily-will further erode what few rights citizens have- we need to follow the most important legal documnet in the world ahead of the Magna Carta and the Mayflower Compact- it called the US Constitution- the fourth admendment is violated daily against citizens in this nation- im not interested in what the police think or "where they are coming from", im interested in following the law and that is the US Constitution- when the screams start when we have tyranny and facism- it will be too late.

 

[mike2400]

I believe in transparancy

I think we need to have all of our government agencies as open as possible. Unfortunately the courts don't seem to be for the people these days but for the government. I don't think it will be blocked as easily in the courts as you think. And the people in general have become apathetic. It is sad and disturbing all at the same time. As someone who used to write news and be a part of the media I really relied on my scanner, especially on a slow news night. The public services do not update the police blotter like they should. The news media is only getting 25% of what is going on. I think our media does not know how to cover stories anymore. They are glad to read a press release and go along with everyone else. Anyway I am stepping off my soapbox now regarding that. I think we should be able to hear what is going on. The fact that some of us are streaming do have the potential for harming the people who are out there serving us by crooks using the radio reference app. I don't think that we should be punished but I am aware that it is used in a way that is not ethical sometimes. I think we are going to find municipalities making it a criminal offence in the near future to stream the feeds. And they will find some loop hole that they can fit it into that will make it stick. Then they will ban scanners like they do radar detectors in VA.

 

[Confuzzled]

I was told by a high ranking police officer that this decision is for "officer safety."

(There is one fire talkgroup that is encrypted - Fire Marshall's Bureau.)

That's a load of baloney. This is doen for the same reason some PDs are arresting people for videotaping them on public streets. They think they are above the law and don't want to be held accountable for their actions and misdeeds.

There is no reason at all to do it for FMs.

Personally, I think NIMS should ban encryption under interoperability protocols.