Anyone keeping track of States/Cities Encrypting Public Safety Communcations?

[iMONITOR]

Has anyone kept track of all the states and cities that have already encrypted public safety radio communications? I used to not worry about it too much, but it seems every week I'm reading more and more have encrypted all or at least some of their radio communications. I don't want to turn this into another never ending thread on the subject, but possibly a discussion on the feasibility of creating such a list if it hasn't already been down. Also what would everone think about color coding encrtpyed sites/talk groups, ie; red, orange or something to make them stand out more when selecting data for importation.

I would think a list could be extracted without too much effort from the RR database considering the data is already available within the database.

 

[rbrtklamp2]

Well in Northern IL the following are ENC 100% 24/7

COOK COUNTY SHERIFF
COOM COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPT
COOK COUNTY MED EXAMINER
DUPAGE COUNTY TAC CH 1-5
DUCOMM TAC 1-5
ALL DUPAGE COUNTY POLICE TAC TG'S
ALL DUPAGE COUNTY WIDE TAC TG'S
ELGIN POLICE
MOST of MCHENRY COUNTY is ENC
LAKE COUNTY SHERIFF
LAKE COUNTY POLICE
GLENVIEW POLICE DISP CENTER
NILES AND MORTON GROVE POLICE
MOST OF THE COOK COUNTY NORTH SHORE POLICE ENC
MOST OF THE SOUTH NETS IN COOK COUNTY ARE 100% ENC ON THE SHERIIFS SYSTEM
WINNEBAGO COUNTY SHERIFF
ROCKFORD CITY POLICE
BOONE COUNTY TAC CH'S
S. CHI HTS AND STEGER POLICE
CITY OF JOLIET 100% ENC even PW
ISP DCI
ISP NORTH OPERATIONS
IL SOS POLICE
ISP DIST COMMS are still in the clear as of now.
Most Chicago Police Tac Ops and Special Units



And more I am sure I have forgotten and that's just northern IL. Central IL and Southern IL also have some but I do not get down there very much. This is just what I know of off the top of my head. There is alot more. People really don't realize it but we have lost alot we used to hear in IL and I am sure there is more to come. If you don't think ENC has become a problem in IL just look at the list above. It will grow as time goes on unfortunately .

And just FYI in almost every case Internet Streaming of communications has been cited as the reason ENC was needed for officer safety purposes.

 

[marcp90]

There is a Wiki Article with the list of Public Safety agencies that encrypt routine dispatch channels. https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Encrypted_Agencies. Feel free to add to it.

 

[scanmanmi]

it seems every week I'm reading more and more have encrypted all or at least some of their radio communications.

Well, we can always listen to tow trucks, busses, and the weather.

 

[allend]

Has anyone kept track of all the states and cities that have already encrypted public safety radio communications? I used to not worry about it too much, but it seems every week I'm reading more and more have encrypted all or at least some of their radio communications. I don't want to turn this into another never ending thread on the subject, but possibly a discussion on the feasibility of creating such a list if it hasn't already been down. Also what would everone think about color coding encrtpyed sites/talk groups, ie; red, orange or something to make them stand out more when selecting data for importation.

I would think a list could be extracted without too much effort from the RR database considering the data is already available within the database.

I am asking in a polite way on why would we or someone need to keep track of this trend with encryption? Its really alarming numbers and keeping track is not going to ever give our community traction to do anything about it. Even if we kept track and had the data numbers there is nothing this data will accomplish now or down the road. With the way our government is now and homeland security is that more and more encryption will happen until everything down the road will be locked down. What is scary is that "It won't slow down" until there is not much else to lock down.

 

[iMONITOR]

I am asking in a polite way on why would we or someone need to keep track of this trend with encryption? Its really alarming numbers and keeping track is not going to ever give our community traction to do anything about it. Even if we kept track and had the data numbers there is nothing this data will accomplish now or down the road. With the way our government is now and homeland security is that more and more encryption will happen until everything down the road will be locked down. What is scary is that "It won't slow down" until there is not much else to lock down.

I never said anyone "needs" to do this. But I think it would interesting to see just how alarming the numbers really are and if it is more prevalent in red or blue states, (I'm not certain there is a difference) and which politicians are supporting it.

It might possibly give me a heads up when I should consider selling what I currently have. It will definetly influance my decsion to invest $700+ on any new scanners. I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking along theses lines. I've already taken steps to protect/recover some of my investment. After already taking three steps forward, and two back. I'm down to one PRO-197, and recently purchased an AOR AR-DV1 to keep me entertained when and after it happens.

 

[W8RMH]

It is still less than one percent.

 

[iMONITOR]

It is still less than one percent.

I'm curious, how do you know that?

 

[JD21960]

Nothing we can do about it. Many in here have tried. THEY believe we're all terrorists or at the least like Kosmo Kramer from Seinfeld when he was depicted as a weirdo dufus with his police scanner who would race to the scene of fires or calls. I think no city, state or federal agency should be able to cover their tracks from the public ear ... including ComEd and utilities. We pay through the nose for all of it, but what can you do? safety first and you're never going to get rid of streams. THAT's their excuse ... even if all streams were made illegal? they surely would still encrypt. Guess when the day comes to where there's nothing to listen to I'll have to join (ugh) social media* Twitter that seems to be the fastest way to hear what's going on around town now.

 

[JD21960]

@ scanmanmi-- Yes. I find listening to the IDOT/Tollway Help trucks in our State here gives me more information and fun than listening to the Police/State PD out there. They're the one's who normally come across accidents and crazy stuff first and relay it to the Police after. I hear more
by them about road conditions, accidents and dangerous stuff FIRST now than the few Coppers left to monitor nearby. ;0)

 

[W8RMH]

I'm curious, how do you know that?

I was advised by a Motorola sales rep.

 

[bearcatrp]

Well, it’s happening. Get used to it. Either consider other stuff to listen to or hang up scanning. Won’t happen all at once but it’s gradually being implemented. Does it suck, yes. Anything you can do about it, NO. Reason why I bought a Icom R30 instead of the new Uniden 200. I have more options to scan.

 

[paulmohr]

Well tracking it or having data base certainly helps in making a decision on a purchase of equipment. I would certainly like to look at a list to see if it was worth it to me to invest in a scanner and what if anything I would be able to listen to. And tracking the trends would also help as well. If everyone else in a certain area is moving to encryption it would be a pretty good guess that others would do it too.

Specifically in my case I was considering giving my 325P2 to my dad who lives close to me, but in another state. He has had a scanner ever since I can remember going back to the 70s. Now everything in his area went digital and he threw his scanners away becuase they didn't work anymore. He didn't know about the digital switch, he just knows they didn't work anymore. I was going to give him mine and purchase a newer/better one for myself. Now I have found out my county is going digital by the end of this year. And as it turns out they are seriously considering using encryption. So this certianly does effect my decision to purchase a new scanner. Now I am going to have to wait until the end of the year to see if they do go encrypted, or how heavily they use it.

 

[Rishayan]

Well, here in south central Pennsylvania, in the 13 county region that I can receive, 7 counties have encrypted all of their police communications( or are on unmonitorable systems like open sky), and one county has encrypted everything including fire. And in the 9 county region of Northeast Florida where I go, 4 counties ( the largest) have encrypted all of their police communications. In both states, Pennsylvania and Florida, state law enforcement is also encrypted or unmonitorable. However, I also spend a lot of time in North Carolina, where 90 to 95% of all public safety communications is still in the clear. And, in both Pennsylvania and Florida, I still am able to find quite a bit of communications to listen to, much of it DMR or NXDN.