Candidate for Indianapolis Mayor calls for no encryption on radio system

[ctiller]

In Texas, MCOT workers work directly with LE specific to mental health calls. I personally trained Bell County LE to recognize the signs/symptoms of mental illness, including the negative and positive symptoms of psychosis/schizophrenia. I attempted to teach the officers how to recognize ID, but when there is co-morbid psychosis, it is very difficult to recognize.

Bell County employs mental health officers to assist MCOT.

Unfortunately, most of the MCOT workers are unlicensed. They have never attended graduate school.

So, hopefully, Indianapolis hires licensed mental health professionals.

Kerrville, Texas uses encryption because it is a rather small city. Although I was rather annoyed when I learned of this during a trip to a forensic workshop, I understood why it would not be appropriate to put patient's names on the airwaves.

Kerrville State Hospital deals with some hardcore patients, unlike other state hospitals in Texas.

In Wacko, I am lucky to have limited encryption. Waco PD helped me fill out the Freedom of Information letter for the fleet maps.

I might add that there was a shootout at the former Twin Peaks restaurant several years ago. This was when the Bandidos & Cossacks flocked to this crazy city. During the shootout, 7 bikers died. No officers were killed or hurt. Most, if not all of the radio traffic was in the clear.

The former Waco PD PIO who helped with the Freedom of Information request stated he wanted the public to listen to their transmissions. He indicated that the public needed to hear what officers deal with on a daily basis. WPD kept their word regarding encryption. They said limited use of encryption would be used. At present, the only "E" is narcotics. I can live with that.

I agree with this. The public and law enforcement could gain more of a respectful relationship if we knew what was going on all the time. In my city a lot of newsworthy items occur that never make it to the papers. If the citizens knew what law enforcement went through everyday I think they'd have more respect for them. And they'd see that the cops aren't all bad guys out to hunt people down. They're just doing their job and it's a tough one. Now on the other hand, if you keep people in the dark, their distrust is going to fester.

 

[cubn]

I just would like to know how seriously they have considered encryption, such as:

1. we know it's an option we may want to use it some day
2. we've talked to other departments who have switched and done research into patching talkgroups and sharing encryption keys

I'm not gonna be too worried yet as this article is the only one I've seen about IMPD thinking about encryption.

 

[Ensnared]

I agree with this. The public and law enforcement could gain more of a respectful relationship if we knew what was going on all the time. In my city a lot of newsworthy items occur that never make it to the papers. If the citizens knew what law enforcement went through everyday I think they'd have more respect for them. And they'd see that the cops aren't all bad guys out to hunt people down. They're just doing their job and it's a tough one. Now on the other hand, if you keep people in the dark, their distrust is going to fester.

Howard County in Texas went to "E." Historically, Big Spring and Howard County have been a shady lot. There is a long history of corruption there. I wrote a letter to the city and it was never published.

I wrote that citizens would be left in the dark regarding what was occurring in the neighborhood, particularly when a crook was "on the ground." They might be able to function as the eyes & ears to help law enforcement. I also reminded them that the shootout between the Bandidos & Cossacks that occurred in Waco. 7 bikers were wasted. No cops were killed or injured. Although I cannot say Federal or others were using some encryption, most of the radio traffic was in the clear.

There is one Federal Prison (mostly in the clear, P25 trunked), and a private prison. When the Federal prison was first opened, it was a minimum custody unit without any wire. There was a perimeter, but nothing stopping them if they decided to run. In fact, many of the offenders were expected to show up to the unit on their own, without a guard escort.

Later, the custody level changed to medium. Then, they added two perimeter fences with razor wire on top and in between. They even added rounded rocks between the perimeter fences. If someone were to make it over one, the chance of breaking a foot would be something they might have to contend with on the ground.

I no longer have relatives in Big Spring. As a matter of principle, I try to avoid municipalities that employ full-time encryption.

Tarrant County is one of the counties I attempt to avoid, particularly when Fort Worth PD encrypted most of their PD talk groups. They have even encrypted one of the stupidest talk group I have ever seen:

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FW MAC-Talk

Ministers Against Crime Talk

Law Talk

 

[AK9R]

Folks, encrypted radio communications for public safety users has been debated at length. I think it's safe to say that most users of this forum are not in favor of encryption.

However, the topic of this thread is an Indianapolis mayoral candidate who promises to keep IMPD comms in the clear. Discussing the pros and cons of encryption and providing anecdotal examples of why encryption is good or bad really doesn't contribute to a discussion of this candidate's platform.

 

[west-pac]

Folks, encrypted radio communications for public safety users has been debated at length. I think it's safe to say that most users of this forum are not in favor of encryption.

However, the topic of this thread is an Indianapolis mayoral candidate who promises to keep IMPD comms in the clear. Discussing the pros and cons of encryption and providing anecdotal examples of why encryption is good or bad really doesn't contribute to a discussion of this candidate's platform.

So you're going to close this thread, right?

 

[AK9R]

So you're going to close this thread, right?

Wasn't planning to as long as the thread stays on topic.

 

[northstarfire0693]

Interesting to see a candidate mention radio encryption:


Mayoral Candidate Robin Shackleford Unveils Public Safety Plan
Plan will REBUILD IMPD, RESTORE trust and accountability, and SECURE families

Indianapolis – Democratic candidate for Indianapolis Mayor, State Representative Robin Shackleford (D-Indianapolis) today unveiled the first in a series of policy proposals. Shackleford’s platform for public safety was outlined during a news conference at Dubarry Park on the east side. That park was the site of a double shooting that killed two teens a year ago this month. The victims were best friends: 14-year-old Da’Vonta White and 15-year-old Isaiah Jackson.

Shackleford said we must do more to protect families – and especially our children.

“In 2015, Mayor Hogsett promised to put 150 more police officers on the street to protect our families and our neighborhoods,” said Shackleford. “Eight years later, we actually have fewer officers on the street than we did when he took office. In other words, he not only failed to deliver on his promise, but he’s also actually leading us backward. That is unacceptable. It’s time for Joe to go.”

As mayor, Shackleford will work to rebuild the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD), restore trust and accountability, and secure families.

Her plans to rebuild IMPD would:

• Reestablish the Public Safety Director, which was a civilian job with oversight of the city’s police and fire departments. The position was abolished under the Hogsett Administration.

• Prioritize rightsizing IMPD to give the people of Indianapolis the safety and security we’ve been waiting for.

• Ensure IMPD salaries are competitive to surrounding areas by increasing the base pay to $65,000 a year to recruit and retain the quality officers we need.

• Decrease Indianapolis’ 65 percent unsolved homicide rate (2022) by increasing the number of available detectives and building streamlined communication channels with other police agencies.

• Remove the Credit Check Report requirement as a consideration for employment. This is an outdated and unnecessary process that is only hindering recruiting and hurting the residents of Indianapolis. A credit report or score should not disqualify an applicant from moving forward in the hiring process.

• Create a review committee to oversee all applicants with mitigating circumstances on a case-by-case basis to ensure qualified applicants aren’t being inappropriately rejected from the hiring process.

• Institute a new home buying assistance program for police officers that will not only improve recruiting and retention but will also better integrate law enforcement into the communities they protect and serve.

• Hold additional IMPD job fairs.

• Rededicate a fully staffed IMPD to a citywide community-oriented policing program so we can stop just talking about building real partnerships, particularly in our communities of color.

• Improve resources for victims’ assistance including the Victim Assistance Unit (VAU) and the Victim Witness Assistance Program.

• Contract with service providers to render routine physical and psychological evaluations for all of our first responders free of charge to protect them from the effects of stress, PTSD and secondary trauma.

• Hire youth for administrative internships in IMPD to establish a pipeline to the department.

As mayor, Robin Shackleford will restore trust, accountability and integrity with police reforms that include:

• Mandating that all officer-involved shootings be investigated by an outside authority.

• Releasing all body camera video for officer-involved shootings and excessive force to the public within 48 hours of the incident.

• Fully funding and expanding the city’s Mobile Crisis Assistance Team so trained mental health professionals, and not armed police, respond to every mental health crisis.

• Developing a city-operated app to allow residents to rate interactions with officers. This will allow direct citizen feedback and for officers to be rewarded for good behavior. The app would also allow residents to upload evidence of inappropriate police interactions in real-time.

• Fining officers who intentionally turn off their body cameras or misuse any equipment in the attempt to conceal a criminal act. The fine would be in addition to state law that allows them to be charged with a misdemeanor.

• Instituting new and ongoing training in cultural sensitivity, peaceful conflict resolution, de-escalation, chronic and mental health recognition, and unconscious bias recognition.

• Instituting a focused minority hiring strategy to ensure our police force is as diverse as our city.

• Ensuring transparency and accountability by publishing an annual internal affairs report that includes all complaints, updated dispositions, and use of force data.

• Working to ensure police radio encryption is not implemented. Encryption is a direct violation of the public’s right to know what is going on in the community and decreases transparency about what police are doing.

• Reducing recidivism by implementing a public/private “Second Chance Agenda” that invests in re-entry, job training and expungement.

• Expanding the Officer Friendly and Indy Police Athletic & Activities League (Indy PAL) programs to proactively engage our youth with a positive image of law enforcement.

After reading a few thing she wants to do. I hope she don't get elected.

I'm not in favor of using E for everything. I can understand its use on some situations. PD Tac groups, SWAT, EMS to Hosp. However, dispatch for PD,EMS and fire is overkill.

 

[AK9R]

I hope she don't get elected.

She lost the primary. Hogsett 58.37%, Shackleford 37.87%.

Since the original point of this thread was Shackleford's anti-encryption campaign platform and since she won't be a candidate for mayor this fall, I think this thread is moot.