Encryption in DFW

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ab5r

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Does anyone know of a "CURRENT" listing of DFW agencies utilizing encryption?

Thanks.
Jerry AB5R
 

ab5r

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Thank you Lindsey. I understand fro the Tattran Co. database that Arlington PD & possibly FD and Grand Prairie PD are encrypted. I was just trying to see IF there was a recent listing. I am anticipating a move to Arlington later this year.
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Harold

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Going from memory.

On Tarrant side.

Fort Worth Police
Arlington Police
Grand Prairie Police
DFW Airport Everything

On Dallas side.

Irving Police
Addison Police
Carrollton Police
Farmers Branch Police
Richardson Police - Dispatch clear
Garland - Police
Rowlett - Everything
Mesquite- Everything
Coppell - Police
McKinney- Police

FYI
Desoto - NXDN
Cedar Hill - NXDN
Duncanville - NXDN
Lancaster- NXDN


Many others not listed. Mostly in the clear, but may have some encrypted talkgroups. There may be other identified users on the Fort Worth system that are encrypted, but we wouldn't know if we can't hear them.
 

ab5r

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Thank you Harold. Going with encryption is so fluid today, your "memory" is probably what I needed.
Regards,
Jerry AB5R
 

hiegtx

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Going from memory.

On Tarrant side.

Fort Worth Police
Arlington Police
Grand Prairie Police
DFW Airport Everything

On Dallas side.

Irving Police
Addison Police
Carrollton Police
Farmers Branch Police
Richardson Police - Dispatch clear
Garland - Police
Rowlett - Everything
Mesquite- Everything
Coppell - Police
McKinney- Police

FYI
Desoto - NXDN
Cedar Hill - NXDN
Duncanville - NXDN
Lancaster- NXDN


Many others not listed. Mostly in the clear, but may have some encrypted talkgroups. There may be other identified users on the Fort Worth system that are encrypted, but we wouldn't know if we can't hear them.
There was a post a few months back that Arlington also intended to switch it's Fire talkgroups to encrypted, since the groups that had been shadowing the PD, and filming incidents, had started showing up at fire related dispatches, on the theory that the PD would at some point also respond. (Off hand, I don't recall if that comment was here on RadioReference, or over on the DFWScan Yahoo group, which is mostly dormant now.) I'm out of range for Arlington at home, but frequently pass through on my way to other areas. I know the database shill shows Arlington FD as merely Phase II, but not encrypted. But during all of the times I'm passing through, including on the way back home last night, I am not hearing Arlington FD at all, even though they are programmed in the SDS100 as well as 436HP which I usually have with me. Harold, can you confirm Arlington has not made the switch? If they have not, then I'll have to re-check my programming.

For the four cities using NXDN (Cedar Hill, Desoto, Duncanville, and Lancaster), to date I have not heard any signs of encryption on any of their talkgroups. Actually, that is kind of a surprise to me. Knowing the mindset of certain agencies in those cities, especially Desoto & Duncanville, I expected to see encryption start to appear once their "unmonitorable" NXDN system was exposed to updated Uniden & Whistler scanners. I have their systems, with wildcards enabled, on my TRX-1, which would generate a busy signal on an encrypted transmission. Not seeing any hints on my Uniden scanners with the NXDN upgrade either.

The rest of Harold's listing mirrors what I've encountered as well.
 

28056

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Technically not everything is encrypted in Mesquite, just all police and fire/ems.

You have water/wastewater, animal services, building maintenance, airport, code enforcement, streets, engineering, parks and CityWide (I have heard Forney Fire calling on there at least once).

But yeah, really nothing worth listening to.
 

ab5r

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These comments are very helpful, and tragically probably what we have to face in the future (overall encryption.)

I am wondering about the radio systems (mfg. of their radios). Are they a majority of Motorola or is a mix of manufactures? If all Motorola, I'd assume they have the same electronics for encryption. Maybe, (Hope Hope) someone will come up with a magical black box to un-crypt. Naaaa.
I can dream can't I.

Thanks to ALL.
 

rattlerbb01

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These comments are very helpful, and tragically probably what we have to face in the future (overall encryption.)

I am wondering about the radio systems (mfg. of their radios). Are they a majority of Motorola or is a mix of manufactures? If all Motorola, I'd assume they have the same electronics for encryption. Maybe, (Hope Hope) someone will come up with a magical black box to un-crypt. Naaaa.
I can dream can't I.

Thanks to ALL.

Our best hope as scanner owners is for a compromise with chiefs, sheriffs and other elected officials to leave dispatching open. There is zero reason for them to leave surveillance, talkaround or records traffic in the clear if they have resources to encrypt, as fun as some of that can be to monitor. This hope for compromise is antithetical to today’s mentality of those in government, but it will take a popular approach and people not afraid to take the issue before their commissioners and councilmen for debate. We have no inherent right to monitor them, so it would have to be in the spirit of openness. If we leave it up to the media, who have a financial grievance for access to communications, they will settle for special radios issued and let the rest of us (and media/photogs that can’t afford them) suffer.
 

Harold

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There was a post a few months back that Arlington also intended to switch it's Fire talkgroups to encrypted, since the groups that had been shadowing the PD, and filming incidents, had started showing up at fire related dispatches, on the theory that the PD would at some point also respond. (Off hand, I don't recall if that comment was here on RadioReference, or over on the DFWScan Yahoo group, which is mostly dormant now.) I'm out of range for Arlington at home, but frequently pass through on my way to other areas. I know the database shill shows Arlington FD as merely Phase II, but not encrypted. But during all of the times I'm passing through, including on the way back home last night, I am not hearing Arlington FD at all, even though they are programmed in the SDS100 as well as 436HP which I usually have with me. Harold, can you confirm Arlington has not made the switch? If they have not, then I'll have to re-check my programming.

For the four cities using NXDN (Cedar Hill, Desoto, Duncanville, and Lancaster), to date I have not heard any signs of encryption on any of their talkgroups. Actually, that is kind of a surprise to me. Knowing the mindset of certain agencies in those cities, especially Desoto & Duncanville, I expected to see encryption start to appear once their "unmonitorable" NXDN system was exposed to updated Uniden & Whistler scanners. I have their systems, with wildcards enabled, on my TRX-1, which would generate a busy signal on an encrypted transmission. Not seeing any hints on my Uniden scanners with the NXDN upgrade either.

The rest of Harold's listing mirrors what I've encountered as well.

Arlington FD and AMR are not encrypted. Listening to them right now.
 

Soundman

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I am glad I am out of Irving tx . I would not be hearing almost noting . Sorry Hiegtx it seam like thy are encrypted everything .
 

hiegtx

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I am glad I am out of Irving tx . I would not be hearing almost noting . Sorry Hiegtx it seam like thy are encrypted everything .
I know. But I can't hear Arlington, encrypted or not, from home, and I don't have any friends or relatives there either, so no big deal. The same goes for Irving and the MetroCrest cities. My main interest, in areas other than my immediate vicinity, is fire departments, most of which are, so far, in the clear.
 

Soundman

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The resion thy blocked Fort Worth and Arlington police is thy had police chasers/ police gang . It was a big story on tv . Thy said the cops treated the people wrong when thy got arrested them . That why a lot of police are encrypted there radios .
 

Harold

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The resion thy blocked Fort Worth and Arlington police is thy had police chasers/ police gang . It was a big story on tv . Thy said the cops treated the people wrong when thy got arrested them . That why a lot of police are encrypted there radios .

Actually this is the reason Fort Worth is encrypted. It is merely the interpretation from someone in the command staff, not to mention that it was no longer cost prohibited, especially since they were building out a new $$$ system at the time, anyway.

http://fortworthgov.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=2351&meta_id=280564

"CJIS Requirements The Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division is under the Federal Bureau of Investigation. CJIS maintains criminal justice information for dissemination to authorized users for law enforcement purposes. The Texas Department of Public Safety is the state authority for auditing and enforcing rules related to the dissemination of criminal justice information. CJIS rules mandate that criminal justice information be shared only with authorized users. The majority of information broadcast over police radio channels is considered criminal justice information, as defined by CJIS, and therefore can only be shared with authorized users. If the COP volunteers were to become authorized users, they would need to be fingerprinted (at a current cost of $10/individual), pass a nationwide criminal history check, complete Security Awareness training at the outset and again every two years, and sign a user agreement form. Once these steps are achieved, the volunteer would be considered CJIS compliant, and may have access to criminal justice information. "
 
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