Anne Arundel County Radio System Upgrade
- Thread starter ThePhotoGuy
- Start date
Dog Bite complaints. Protect the apologists.
ThePhotoGuy
Member
Because they can....
All law enforcement is encrypted on the system and Animal Control is under the control/supervision of the County Police Department.
All law enforcement is encrypted on the system and Animal Control is under the control/supervision of the County Police Department.
Animal Control was always entertaing to listen to
tvengr
Well Known Member
To protect dog license information. Canine identity theft is a big problem.
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- Joined
- Nov 24, 2011
- Messages
- 26
Posted on Anne Arundel County Police Department Facebook and X just a few minutes ago:
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐จ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ
(Move enhances security and interoperability and secures private information of community members)
Millersville, MD (September 9, 2024) As part of a system-wide upgrade and a continued effort to protect the Personally Identifiable Information (PII) of community members, the Anne Arundel County Police Department will be transitioning to encrypted radio transmissions for all law enforcement activity on Tuesday, October 1, 2024. Encryption is a standardized nationwide technology that protects the privacy and security of public safety digital radio network communications.
Public safety radio systems nationwide have been upgrading to the โP25 Standardโ. This nationwide standard enhances the security and interoperability of two-way radio transmissions between public safety agencies. As part of a multi-year project, the Anne Arundel County radio system has been upgraded to the P25 standard, allowing for the encryption of radio transmissions without impacting interoperable communications with allied agencies.
Encryption of digital police radio network traffic will protect the dignity of victims, witnesses and their families by securing private information. In order to effectively do their jobs, police officers and dispatchers routinely need to transmit personally identifiable information such as names, social security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, phone numbers, medical or mental health information, the specific reasons for responding to a home or other location, and past history of a location or a person over the radio system. With encryption, the dignity of victims and their families will now be protected by securing this information.
This helps protect the community from the increasing prevalence of identity theft. According to the National Council on Identity Theft Protection, identity theft is increasing. Professionals in the field believe that there is a new victim of identity theft every 22 seconds. In addition to the protection of private information, encryption will also allow officers to effectively and safely respond to calls for service and communicate operational tactics without fear of suspects intercepting sensitive information, without negatively impacting de-escalation efforts and without negatively impacting the safety of officers and the community at large.
Despite this transition to encrypted radios, itโs important to point out encryption will not impact public notifications or access to information that impacts the community. The Anne Arundel County Police Department prides itself on transparency and will continue to utilize a robust system for communicating validated, timely and accurate information to the public and to the media, especially during active and critical incidents. This includes the following:
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐จ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ
(Move enhances security and interoperability and secures private information of community members)
Millersville, MD (September 9, 2024) As part of a system-wide upgrade and a continued effort to protect the Personally Identifiable Information (PII) of community members, the Anne Arundel County Police Department will be transitioning to encrypted radio transmissions for all law enforcement activity on Tuesday, October 1, 2024. Encryption is a standardized nationwide technology that protects the privacy and security of public safety digital radio network communications.
Public safety radio systems nationwide have been upgrading to the โP25 Standardโ. This nationwide standard enhances the security and interoperability of two-way radio transmissions between public safety agencies. As part of a multi-year project, the Anne Arundel County radio system has been upgraded to the P25 standard, allowing for the encryption of radio transmissions without impacting interoperable communications with allied agencies.
Encryption of digital police radio network traffic will protect the dignity of victims, witnesses and their families by securing private information. In order to effectively do their jobs, police officers and dispatchers routinely need to transmit personally identifiable information such as names, social security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, phone numbers, medical or mental health information, the specific reasons for responding to a home or other location, and past history of a location or a person over the radio system. With encryption, the dignity of victims and their families will now be protected by securing this information.
This helps protect the community from the increasing prevalence of identity theft. According to the National Council on Identity Theft Protection, identity theft is increasing. Professionals in the field believe that there is a new victim of identity theft every 22 seconds. In addition to the protection of private information, encryption will also allow officers to effectively and safely respond to calls for service and communicate operational tactics without fear of suspects intercepting sensitive information, without negatively impacting de-escalation efforts and without negatively impacting the safety of officers and the community at large.
Despite this transition to encrypted radios, itโs important to point out encryption will not impact public notifications or access to information that impacts the community. The Anne Arundel County Police Department prides itself on transparency and will continue to utilize a robust system for communicating validated, timely and accurate information to the public and to the media, especially during active and critical incidents. This includes the following:
- Social media platforms: Facebook, X (Formerly Twitter) and Instagram
- Emergency and public safety notifications via โAlert Anne Arundelโ
- The distribution of daily media releases related to significant incidents and department information
- On-call public information officers (PIOโs) who have the capability to release information to the public and to provide access to the media at all hours every day of the week; and a 24-hour phone number is available to members of the media routed directly to the on-call PIO
- Direct text and email notifications to news desks
- Online Public Information Act requests for records such as radio transmissions for the community
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2011
- Messages
- 26
They also posted a dedicated webpage to it on the county website: Police Radio Encryption | Anne Arundel County Government
Me and my pooches feel more dignified already!
Try as a private citizen to successfully get a government agency to respond to a FOIA request without the assistance of an attorney - see how that works out. Also, protected PII really describes how data is linked, not the individual data items. For example, a name by itself is not protected. Even a name and address is not protected, even what you see on a driver's license is not protected - but link it with a SSN then it becomes protected. Bottom line is that case law has not adequately defined what protected PII actually is as of now.
ThePhotoGuy
Member
It shouldn't be a shock that the county is going encrypted as it has been known for years that they were going to switch to encryption. If I was a radio system manager, I would choose to encrypt but their reasonings are comical.
-Enhances "Interoperability." How? They have been interopable with nearby jurisdictions for many years.
-The whole argument saying that we can go full encryption now since we have a new radio system. They have had that option for years. Nothing changed.
-The whole identity theft every 22 seconds argument related to radio communications.
-Public Info Requests - They forgot to mention that you have to pay for the recordings. It ain't going to be free.
-The difficulty of switching between clear/encrypted talkgroups. They have been able to do this for 10+ years (when the county encrypted talk-around, tac channels, & teletype) so what changed now?
In the end, they should just say we are switching to encryption because "we can" instead of given all these comical reasonings.
-Enhances "Interoperability." How? They have been interopable with nearby jurisdictions for many years.
-The whole argument saying that we can go full encryption now since we have a new radio system. They have had that option for years. Nothing changed.
-The whole identity theft every 22 seconds argument related to radio communications.
-Public Info Requests - They forgot to mention that you have to pay for the recordings. It ain't going to be free.
-The difficulty of switching between clear/encrypted talkgroups. They have been able to do this for 10+ years (when the county encrypted talk-around, tac channels, & teletype) so what changed now?
In the end, they should just say we are switching to encryption because "we can" instead of given all these comical reasonings.
ThePhotoGuy
Member
AAPD Western & Channel 5 patch on P16 has been down since last week. Northern, Eastern, and Southern are still up.
It also appears the BWI Fire Dispatch, Tac-1, and Tac-2 are no longer patched from the MAA system to the AACo P16 system.
It also appears the BWI Fire Dispatch, Tac-1, and Tac-2 are no longer patched from the MAA system to the AACo P16 system.
Sounds like BWI completed reprogramming existing (or purchased new) radios to operate natively on TDMA systems - not sure if I've ever heard them on a FIRST tg. Have they been heard directly on county fire TDMA tgs, or did it sound like a patch?
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ThePhotoGuy
Member
Came back up today.
I started hearing them use their reprogrammed radios to talking directly on the new system starting in June. For a while after the portables were reprogrammed, their mobiles weren't reprogrammed and were being patched in from the old system. Not sure if they have been reprogrammed yet or not.
Queen Anne seemed to have reprogrammed their radios about 2 weeks ago.
ThePhotoGuy
Member
Kent County unit (RID 24802xx) was doing radio tests through the various P25 fire zones today.
Good to see their radios being programmed. I have hard them many years ago respond for a Water Rescue call in AACo with one of their Fireboats. It's been so long so I am not sure if they were patched in or had P16 talkgroups programmed in.
Good to see their radios being programmed. I have hard them many years ago respond for a Water Rescue call in AACo with one of their Fireboats. It's been so long so I am not sure if they were patched in or had P16 talkgroups programmed in.
ThePhotoGuy
Member
Not sure when it started but the MSP Barrack P/J patch from FiRST to the P16 system is no longer active. No signs of any MSP patch from FiRST to the P25 system.
ThePhotoGuy
Member
Looks like all fire, County Police, and Annapolis City Police patches from P25 to P16 were taken down today.
During dispatches starting this morning, Fire Alarm now tells units to respond on "1 (zone)____ (bravo, charley, etc.)." Will be interesting to now see what the 2 Zone will be used for.
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I don't monitor the School Buses talkgroup but that might be the last talkgroup patched to P16 (unless it was also taken down today).
During dispatches starting this morning, Fire Alarm now tells units to respond on "1 (zone)____ (bravo, charley, etc.)." Will be interesting to now see what the 2 Zone will be used for.
---
I don't monitor the School Buses talkgroup but that might be the last talkgroup patched to P16 (unless it was also taken down today).
During dispatches starting this morning, Fire Alarm now tells units to respond on "1 (zone)____ (bravo, charley, etc.)." Will be interesting to now see what the 2 Zone will be used for.
Splitting the county in half. Batt 1 & 2, Zone 1; Batt 3 & 4, Zone 2
Splitting the county in half. Batt 1 & 2, Zone 1; Batt 3 & 4, Zone 2
Except for Alpha
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