Calgary Police - Encrypted Radios?

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RadioYYC

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Been hearing a few units talk about encrypted radios on the air lately, it would appear they must be getting new radios?

Anyone know if they are moving in that direction for general dispatch use?
 

kayn1n32008

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Been hearing a few units talk about encrypted radios on the air lately, it would appear they must be getting new radios?

Anyone know if they are moving in that direction for general dispatch use?

Their current radios are, if equipped with UCM's and have hardware encryption in their flash, are capable of encryption.

If you look in the database, or decode the control channel data, you will see that there is a bunch of encrypted talk-groups used by CPS.
 

RadioYYC

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Their current radios are, if equipped with UCM's and have hardware encryption in their flash, are capable of encryption.

If you look in the database, or decode the control channel data, you will see that there is a bunch of encrypted talk-groups used by CPS.

yes, question was around if there was any hints of moving to encryption for dispatch, as some patrol resources have accidentally been transmitting lately 'encrypted' which never seemed to happen before, so I am only assuming they are getting new radios that are 'encryption ready' and the user accidentally puts it in encrypted mode.
 
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kayn1n32008

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Anyone know if they are moving in that direction for general dispatch use?

It appears that law enforcement Canada wide is, when legacy networks are replaced and/or upgraded, moving from limited use of encryption, to full time 99.999%encryption.

I would be shocked if CPS/EPS/LPS/LPS/MPS do not employ encryption full time.
 

kayn1n32008

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yes, question was around if there was any hints of moving to encryption for dispatch, as some patrol resources have accidentally been transmitting lately 'encrypted' which never seemed to happen before, so I am only assuming they are getting new radios that are 'encryption ready' and the user accidentally puts it in encrypted mode.

The radios they currently use (Motorola XTS 5000 and XTL5000(I think) are capable of it if they have "software encryption" enabled in the flash or if the have a UCM and "hardware encryption" enabled in the flash.
 

robertmac

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If patrol units are working with TAC, there is sometimes back and forth discussions of encryption when working a scene. But I don't think I have heard too much discussion of many people breaking the law having scanners. But with some of the problems experienced with CPS and wanting to be transparent, I don't think encryption will help this cause.
 

RadioYYC

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I think there has only been a few in recent years, they seem to get taken down once they have been 'outed'

On a side note: CPS just posted about a stolen car bust, where they had scanners at the house (one could hope they don't know how to program them properly!) I wonder if they see this often
 

thundermedic

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If patrol units are working with TAC, there is sometimes back and forth discussions of encryption when working a scene. But I don't think I have heard too much discussion of many people breaking the law having scanners. But with some of the problems experienced with CPS and wanting to be transparent, I don't think encryption will help this cause.

Well, except this news article from today....

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-stolen-car-key-fobs-1.4055549

the Bravo channels are encrypted, so are more than half the Talkgroups that are identified in the database. If you load up Trunk88 or Unitrunker most of the police talkgroups are encrypted P25.

The only things that are in the clear are the District dispatch and the alternates. It will only take a investigation that might be compromised due to scanners, or someone leaking recorded audio for the new chief to tell everyone to flip the switch. All of the new cruisers and all of the HT are capable of it.
 

robertmac

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On a side note: CPS just posted about a stolen car bust, where they had scanners at the house (one could hope they don't know how to program them properly!) I wonder if they see this often

So obviously the scanner doesn't help, nor has it helped the few before that have been caught with one.

However, I do wish Traffic Camera ops would go encrypted.
 
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