Ellis County

[ksphotoguy]

It sounds like Ellis county is looking at the likelyhood of encrypting most if not ALL the radio traffic as part of the upgrades they are working on. I can understand the need for some things to be encrypted, but on the other hand, there are some benefits to not having total encryption.


First off is weather. I know I rely on the scanner for bad weather so I can be aware of what spotters are seeing and reporting to give my family as much lead time on a storm as possible.

Next up is missing persons and attempt to locate situations. This can come to benefit for law enforcement if more people are aware and instead of just having the LEO's looking and watching, there are lots more people aware and watching. The more people looking for these bad guys increases the chances of catching them before they can do more harm. Yes, some BOLO's do make it to the six and ten o'clock news but that can be hours away and in many situations, time is of the essence.

Then we have active pursuit of criminals. If there is a high speed chase of a bad guy, many times they end up in places that can put people and neighborhoods in danger. If the public knows something is headed their direction, this could allow them to prepare for something bad that may end up at their door. It can also help someone avoid ending up in the middle of a dangerous situation they were unaware of. I have firsthand experience with this type of situation and it's because of this that I listen to my scanner and not commercial radio. I would rather not have it happen again. Having a gun pointed at you and your family and being threatened to be shot is NOT a pleasant experience. Especially when you are minding your own business and some wacko comes off I-70 and decides to visit your neighborhood in his effort to flee the KHP. Not fun at all.

I think it is smart to have an awareness of the world we live in and what is going on around us and tho the police may be doing their best to protect the public, it's a simple fact that they can't be everywhere at once and we as citizens have to do what we can to fend for oursleves as best we can. I believe hearing whats happening on the scanner is an important part of that awareness.

Are there some things that are heard that don't fit the above situations? Yes. Is everything that is done on the radio in need of total security? I would have to say no. There needs to be a cost/benefit comparison applied to this and the cost of someone being harmed by not having the information that could help them outweighs the benefit of total radio encryption.

Will people talk about events and get information wrong as the gossip makes it's rounds? Yes. They always have and they always will. Before it happened at the coffeeshop and now it happens on facebook. Is radio traffic more readily available due to the internet and live feeds? Yes. Is that bad? yes and no. Initially , people that are new to what they hear will mis-understand what is going on and will get some things out of context and be confused, but thru educating them and experience, like anything, they will have a better understanding of what is going on on the radio and at calls. Perhaps it will even cut down on the numbers of cars showing up at these calls because the curiosity will be satisfied by hearing instead of having to go see where the sirens were headed to.

This is a crossroads for everyone involved. By going fully encrypted, Law enforcement sees it as the full privacy they feel they need. However, it puts the public in the dark and in a sense, it makes us even more suspicious of whats going on behind closed doors. In a way, it's puts us at higher risk to danger. It also makes us wonder what "they" are trying to hide. We hear talk by our politicians about the need for transparency in governement, yet our govenrment seems to want to hide more and more from us in the name of safety and security. It makes one wonder what and who to believe. Which road will we take?

 

[n0lqt]

Very succinctly put!

Now quick, copy and paste what you just wrote into your Word program and mail a copy to every local newspaper's "Letters to the Editor," every County Commissioner, the Sheriff, the County Administrator, the Police Chiefs of all surrounding towns, and email it to all of your like-minded friends around town. You might even send copies to the radio and TV stations in your area as they too need scanners to find out what is happening. Too often, the people who make the decisions on these sorts of things never hear from the "other" side of the argument as to why full time encryption is not a good thing. On the letters to elected officials, be sure to add that you would make your displeasure felt in the ballot box next election and will be very vocal about it to anyone who will listen. The best way to fight full-time encryption is thru public education and information.

A good catch phrase to use is: "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?", "Who watches the Watchmen?" also "Freedom and Security can't happen in the dark!"

 

[rankin39]

Personally, I'd think twice about continuing as an Emergency Management volunteer if my county encrypted. It's too bad that Ellis Co. doesn't seem to have the foresight of Leavenworth Co. I have to say that this county does a terrific job for a county with volunteer fire departments and a largely volunteer Emergency Management agency. They support the populace and the populace supports them.

Bob, WoNXN
LV CO

 

[dgruver911]

Time will tell, but I seriously doubt it will come to fruition, and if it does, the public outcry, as it has time and time again for the agencies who went that route, will force them to back off of the idea. As stated, they will come to learn that the advantages of having public access to the primary dispatch traffic far outweigh the rare issues that crop up. There are few legitimate needs for encryption: SWAT, Undercover, EMS Patient reports, but knowledge and experience tells us the vast majority of what is said on routine encrypted channels is just horseplay and unprofessional comments. They need to simply look around at the history and see what that decision has accomplished. So many agencies had regretted and reversed a decision to totally encrypt, and I'm sure some people have lost their jobs or elected positions over such decisions. Especially in light of the trend to go digital, which they are also working towards; there is so much distortion and garbled traffic in the clear, why add encryption and one more layer of difficulty in getting your transmission through for day-to-day dispatch traffic? My .02 worth.

 

[N5TWB]

Well-stated, ksphotoguy. The only thing I would say might be added is a comment about a sense of proportion about the real need for encryption in a rural county in Kansas with a minimal exposure to criminal elements when compared to an urban area. Of course, this is a corollary to the already-noted cost/benefit discussion.

Also, as long as we are using Latin, throw in "Cui bono?" (Who benefits?), just to buttress the argument...