Critics say switch to encrypted digital channels may have garbled CPD radio calls

[rivermersey]

Critics say switch to encrypted digital channels may have garbled CPD radio calls

The problem was highlighted during a shooting that wounded a Chicago Police officer in Gold Coast Monday morning.

www.cbsnews.com

CBS 2 INVESTIGATORS

Critics say switch to encrypted digital channels may have garbled CPD radio calls​

By Megan Hickey
Updated on: January 9, 2024 / 6:21 PM CST / CBS Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Did a recent switch from old-school analog to encrypted digital police radio channels make them harder to understand?

The problem was highlighted during a shooting that wounded a Chicago Police officer in Gold Coast Monday morning – in the latest development in the controversy over the city's move to encryption for police scanners.

"Send an ambulance, I'm hit!" an officer said in a garbled radio call after being shot Monday morning. The officer was shot at State and Walton streets around 4:15 a.m. Monday, while responding to an attempted crash-and-grab burglary at the Prada store about a block away at 30 E. Oak St. in the Gold Coast.

That radio call was followed by about seven minutes of hard-to-decipher confusion over when whether an officer had actually been shot. Dispatchers said, "All officers are OK, no officers shot at?" and, "No officers hurt, correct?" before it was established that an officer actually had been shot.

 

[mmckenna]

So much wrong with that story.

A person with a scanner complaining about audio quality isn't an expert opinion.

Dragging encryption into the discussion doesn't mean squat. Encryption does not impact signal quality. On a digital system, the 1's and 0's are still 1's and 0's, even if encrypted.

What will impact signal quality is a hand held radio laying on the ground under a wounded officer. The signal is going to be greatly attenuated, and that will be true with analog or digital.

But that doesn't make a good news story….

 

[Elpato]

I hear just as much "garbled" crap on non-encrypted talk groups.. its one of cons of using P25. Encryption little if nothing to do with it

 

[AB5ID]

I'm only asking this because I truly don't know the answer. If two radio signals are at the same level but have different modulation types – one being narrowband FM analog and the other digital P25 – which one would perform better in a weak signal contest?

 

[ILjim]

I read the article and watched their vid of the segment. To me it comes across as rather desperate and straight up lazy journalism. It does a disservice to those (like many here in RR) who make legitimate arguments on why public safety dispatch comms should be in the clear. Back to the drawing board you go CBS 2...

 

[mmckenna]

I'm only asking this because I truly don't know the answer. If two radio signals are at the same level but have different modulation types – one being narrowband FM analog and the other digital P25 – which one would perform better in a weak signal contest?

I can't answer that for P25, as I've never tried it.
I have tried it with NXDN, and the NXDN signal was still usable when narrow FM had crapped the bed.

 

[mmckenna]

I read the article and watched their vid of the segment. To me it comes across as rather desperate and straight up lazy journalism. It does a disservice to those (like many here in RR) who make legitimate arguments on why public safety dispatch comms should be in the clear. Back to the drawing board you go CBS 2...

I agree. Seems like they are butthurt about encryption and are digging for reasons to discredit it. Inexperienced people will buy it since it supports their personal point of view. Facts be damned.

 

[Opossum214]

Who'd a thought that the msm would be so inaccurate.

 

[wtp]

if it is all encrypted, how did the scanner guy hear it ?

 

[mmckenna]

if it is all encrypted, how did the scanner guy hear it ?

From the guys webpage:
"streams are provided by Broadcastify.com, for encrypted radio channels (marked with [ENC])"

 

[kb5udf]

From the same article:
OEMC released this statement in response:

"The City of Chicago encrypted public safety radios for safety issues from rogue radios interfering with radio traffic.”

Seems to me like plenty of questionable reasoning going on in that article from multiple sources. Obviously, what I’ve read here ENC is not the only way to keep rogues off of a radio system, since radio systems can be secured without scrambling the contents.

I would add that the article also appeared to indicate that people believed the garbling was from the digital P25 having difficulty coping with background noise, something that has been well discussed elsewhere; whether or not that was a factor in this case, who knows.

 

[marcotor]

I'd like to know whom he has "heard from" regarding the performance of the system. Engineers? Officers on the street? I sure wouldn't rely on an internet fed audio stream to define an officer safety issue.

 

[GTO_04]

Since when is an internet scanner feed rebroadcasting encrypted radio traffic? How is this possible? Is some well connected individual given a police radio?

GTO_04

 

[cubn]

Since when is an internet scanner feed rebroadcasting encrypted radio traffic? How is this possible? Is some well connected individual given a police radio?

GTO_04

These are official Broadcastify feeds provided by the Chicago Police Department on a time delay.

Official Feeds

Official Live Audio Broadcasts of Public Safety Communications on Broadcastify

www.broadcastify.com

 

[GTO_04]

These are official Broadcastify feeds provided by the Chicago Police Department on a time delay.

Official Feeds

Official Live Audio Broadcasts of Public Safety Communications on Broadcastify

www.broadcastify.com

Ah ok. That makes sense. I am not familiar with those being that they don't exist in these parts (central IN).

GTO_04

 

[Chicago2210]

Fallow up

and by the way it's FCC not FFC

 

[WX4JCW]

I'd like to know whom he has "heard from" regarding the performance of the system. Engineers? Officers on the street? I sure wouldn't rely on an internet fed audio stream to define an officer safety issue.

mmckenna is correct, but its like i said about becoming a thorn in the side at any opportunity

 

[mmckenna]

Making stuff up to get your PD to unencrypt is OK?

Didn't help convince me that they kept showing shots of a scanner, Baofeng and other CCR's.

We've got one officer that can make our analog system sound like poop. He mumbles into the microphone, way too close.

 

[N9JIG]

This thread is about how/if encryption affects system performance, let's keep it there please.

 

[FFPM571]

I work on a system that went from clear P25 PII to Encrypted and can tell no difference in audio other issues being brought to our attention since the change. I do know that a lot of issues come up when the mic is quick key'ed or yelling excitedly into the speaker mic with any communicatons, analog, digital and or encrypted.