Encryption is a feature that is designed to prevent unauthorized listeners from hearing a conversation. If you do not have the key, you will not hear what's being said. This is the reason that it's true that no scanner manufacturer will
ever develop a receiver that will let you hear an encrypted channel. Asking for a scanner that can break encryption is like asking for a key that will open and start any car in the parking lot. It ain't gonna happen.
On the topic of AFRRCS, there are a number of things in the linked article which are either outright lies or exceptionally poorly researched material - it's impossible to know if it is the fault of the police chief or the journalist. Here are the actual facts:
- AFRRCS is not mandatory for first responders or any other radio users in the province, with the exception of Government of Alberta agencies that use radios and the RCMP (those are the original agencies for which the system was built).
- Encryption is not mandatory for any users on AFRRCS. In fact, the only thing AFRRCS states about encryption is that the mutual aid/common event channels must not be encrypted.
- Encryption is not mandatory for all police agencies, nor to be compliant with FOIPP laws, etc. There is an apparent drive to encrypt all (major) police agencies nationwide, starting a few years ago when some sensitive information was broadcast by major media outlets, but to the best of my knowledge, and from the comms able to be heard on AFRRCS today (see below), encryption of police comms is not mandatory.
- For most if not all (professional/commercial) radios that can be used with AFRRCS, encryption is a very inexpensive (if not free) option. It is not at all like 20-30 years ago when encryption added significant cost to each radio device.
- Some agencies who are encrypting are claiming it's being done in the interests of responder safety. Others say that criminals and others who would interfere with their operations force the agencies to encrypt. Still others argue that it is to protect the privacy of their operations. People from outside the agencies are insinuating that it's more of a desire to hide the agency's practices from the public, or a desire to prevent the public and media from knowing what is going on in their community. The actual truth is somewhere more in the middle of all this, than any one (or more) of these claims.
The fact of the matter about AFRRCS is that
some agencies are choosing to encrypt, which probably has more to do with the fact that the new system (and new radio gear) offers a chance to make this happen. However, not all agencies are encrypting, and a migration to AFRRCS should not be seen as a reason that "[your] scanner will become a paperweight/go completely silent", unless you choose not to own a digital scanner with 700 MHz capability - that is all that's needed to monitor AFRRCS.
Of the agencies shown in the
RadioReference database entry for AFRRCS, there's a whole lot of non-encrypted talkgroups listed. Yes, several major agencies such as AHS EMS, the Justice & Solicitor General's agencies (Sheriffs, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, Corrections, etc), and a number of police agencies, have chosen to encrypt. However, there are still others, including
other police agencies and part of AHS EMS, as well as many fire/rescue agencies and community peace officers, which are not encrypted and show no indications that they will be going that way.
No reason to run around hysterical about the sky falling. A couple of clouds are up there, but the endless blue still remains.