Bucks county encryption

[trentbob]

Bob, supposedly the encryption will be turned off next Tuesday (16th) at 0600.

Thanks very much guys for the info.

 

[trap5858]

My source confirms 0600 on Tuesday!

 

[trentbob]

My source confirms 0600 on Tuesday!

Yeehawww, thanks Herb.

 

[bill31089]

Great news

 

[DChastEMT]

And G-d said, "Let there be Clear Comms, and there were clear comms." What a sweet sound. My familiar friends are back!

 

[bill31089]

And G-d said, "Let there be Clear Comms, and there were clear comms." What a sweet sound. My familiar friends are back!

what zone are you listening to

 

[trentbob]

So what I found is is 1 2 and 3 are in the clear with an occasional cop encrypted. Reminders were given but some are still encrypted and not reminding them anymore. It was like that before, It looks like Bristol Borough cars are encrypted but Zone 1 dispatch in the clear and the township in the clear.

Bensalem Township remains totally encrypted so I turned them off. I only listen to the lower part of the county so that's all I can report.

 

[bill31089]

Hopefully Bensalem goes to clear communication soon

 

[bill31089]

I drive a tow truck for Bensalem and lower Southampton Township so really all I monitor is in 4 and 8

 

[trentbob]

I drive a tow truck for Bensalem and lower Southampton Township so really all I monitor is in 4 and 8

Bensalem likes to be secret squirrels, they just had that huge meth ring bust with the feds, DA and the staties, but they don't need to encrypt dispatch. They can use the Ops Channel or the County DA detectives Channel. It's obviously deliberately being encrypted on dispatch.

We will see.

 

[trentbob]

Zone 8 in the clear now.

 

[trap5858]

Zone 6 has been clear all day.

 

[trentbob]

So a cop can encrypt a transmission if he thinks it's of a sensitive nature. If they leave it on encryption they're supposed to be told that the radio is on encryption. On zones 1 2 3 and 8 it would appear that at least half on each Zone of individual cops are leaving encryption on the radios at all times and they are not for sensitive transmissions. It's all routine stuff and dispatchers only say something once.

So there's a lot of encryption going on on the lower end of the county. At least we can hear County dispatch.

Reminds me of the old VHF repeater systems when they would throw the switch and turn the repeater off and you could only hear the dispatcher.

Let's hope the Radio Room supervisors continue to advise the units that are on encryption but not involved with sensitive information per the policy.

 

[bill31089]

So a cop can encrypt a transmission if he thinks it's of a sensitive nature. If they leave it on encryption they're supposed to be told that the radio is on encryption. On zones 1 2 3 and 8 it would appear that at least half on each Zone of individual cops are leaving encryption on the radios at all times and they are not for sensitive transmissions. It's all routine stuff and dispatchers only say something once.

So there's a lot of encryption going on on the lower end of the county. At least we can hear County dispatch.

Reminds me of the old VHF repeater systems when they would throw the switch and turn the repeater off and you could only hear the dispatcher.

Let's hope the Radio Room supervisors continue to advise the units that are on encryption but not involved with sensitive information per the policy.

since I've gotten home from work at about 5:30 I have heard the county advise officers that their radios were encrypted and them officers have since changed to in the clear so I think it's just a matter of a couple of days before everyone will be operating in the clear

 

[trentbob]

Just an update on Zone 1, I have not heard a car now for about an hour, the entire Bristol Township squad has all gone to encryption even though it was half and half earlier. No reminders from dispatch so it is deliberate. So it's dispatcher only on Zone 1 with most of tullytown and the borough encrypted also. From the responses from the dispatcher it's nothing sensitive going on. Still half and half on Zone 2 and Zone 3.

I haven't heard any reminders from dispatchers to the cars that are on encryption on Zone 2 and 3. I did hear reminders on the day shift.

Can't speak for any zones north or west of here.

 

[bill31089]

Just an update on Zone 1, I have not heard a car now for about an hour, the entire Bristol Township squad has all gone to encryption even though it was half and half earlier. No reminders from dispatch so it is deliberate. So it's dispatcher only on Zone 1 with most of tullytown and the borough encrypted also. From the responses from the dispatcher it's nothing sensitive going on. Still half and half on Zone 2 and Zone 3.

I haven't heard any reminders from dispatchers to the cars that are on encryption on Zone 2 and 3. I did hear reminders on the day shift.

Can't speak for any zones north or west of here.

What equipment do listen with I have a unication g5 uniden home patrol 1 bcd436hp, BCD536HP and a BCD325P2

 

[trentbob]

Yes I have a Motorola apx 7000, an SDS 100 and an SDS 200. I have the X36 radios but I don't use them on P2 simulcast anymore they just don't handle the simulcast distortion secondary to LSM in my area in between Bensalem, thiokol and Falls towers.

I've been listening to Bucks County a long long time. I'm a retired newspaper reporter. in 2000 there was actually a dead period from 2000-2003 when they went to the type II smartzone digital system. Digital scanners were not developed till 2003 but the county did program our Motorola's.

On Zone 1 it's dispatch only. Don't know what's going on... Zone 2, Zone 3 has been half and half and very busy today but appear to be somewhat normal compared to before the shutdown, there was always those that were determined to be encrypted the whole shift and the dispatchers would stop reminding them they were encrypted.

Okay now I'm hearing a Bristol Borough sergeant on Zone 1 but that is a separate Police Department from the township. The township Squad may have done it on their own and there's nothing going on right now. Perhaps it's just posturing or acting out, I honestly don't know.

The best thing to do is see how it is tomorrow when senior Radio Room supervision is present. My understanding from insiders is that they do adhere to the spirit of the policy of the Board of Supervisors.

 

[trentbob]

Hahaha, now I hear 2 different Bristol Township cars, one of them an s unit. All Bristol Township cars have been encrypted for several hours now LOL. Let's just see how all this pans out in a couple of days.

 

[Maxx215]

Here’s a crazy idea.... The dispatchers aren’t sitting staring up at their radio screen their entire 12 hour shift. And if they don’t happen to look when a unit is keyed up there is absolutely no indication on the radio screen that a unit is in the wrong mode once they unkey. The only time it’s necessary to look at the radio screen is when they didn’t catch the identifier and need to see what radio it was, or when a unit sets off their emergency ID. They have 5 other screens they could be looking at.

 

[trentbob]

My guess is they are looking at their screens to see if officers are encrypted. That's the policy of the Radio Room according to the Board of Commissioners.

If they go encrypted because of information of a sensitive nature then the dispatchers remind them that they are still on encryption. Some do it more than others and I've noticed some don't do it at all unless they're doing it in another way other than verbally over the radio.

Things appear to be getting better and more mobile units are being heard. There are those that are remaining encrypted even for the most routine calls or content that is not sensitive and you can tell by the dispatchers response. That seems to be happening at night more, when the dispatchers are less busy. I also only listen to Zone 1 2 3 and 8.

As I have said, I have heard nothing but good things about the person that runs the Radio Room. It seems like they are sticking to the spirit of the policy of the County Commissioners.

You sound like you might be Pro encryption? Nevermind, none of my beeswax. It's just great to have the radio back.