Georgia: Albany PD & Dougherty County go encrypted

[firerick100]

Cops, deputies scramble radio chatter - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

ALBANY, GA (WALB) -
The media and citizens with police scanners can no longer listen to radio conversations by the two largest law enforcement agencies in Dougherty County. The Albany Police Department and Dougherty County Sheriff's Office started encrypted all radio traffic Monday morning. They say it's to protect you and themselves.




[MOD EDIT: PLEASE DO NOT PASTE FULL ARTICLE DUE TO COPYRIGHT LAW.]

 

[MTS2000des]

always count on the mouth breather central run redneck towns and cities in this state to "keep us safe from terrorists" by running full time encryption. I can hear these high school dropouts talking through their neck fat about "this keeps Al QAIDA from listin' in to our radio channels."

Squidbillies if there ever were..headline should read "Dougal County goes scrambled so we can't hear the corrupt sheriff's office coordinating the next minority beatings or planting drugs on unsuspecting travelers' passing through"

 

[rapidcharger]

Here's my favorite part of the article...

"The city paid more than a quarter-million dollars for the encryption equipment. The cost to the county was more than $122,000"

Interesting use of the phrase "more than".

Why didn't they just say it was more than $50?

If it's more than, that could be anything, right? That could be 47 million dollars.

It sounds like they're off to a real good start with transparency.

I also wonder what the extra cost will be to pay someone to send email and update social media. It does specifically say Albany police will be sending email and updating social media so I guess they have adequate staffing in their 911 center and their response times are under 3 minutes?

 

[ASTRO2001]

interoperability?

The News Person said that other agencies such as the Georgia state police and others won't be able to hear the county now since they are using encryption. HAHAHA I recall that the government wants agencies to be able to talk to one another since 9/11. Man if I was a Georgia state patrol and I saw that county was having a chase or need help I wouldn't be able to assist since I can't hear them. The County says without encryption it puts officers life in danger well when other agencies can't hear them that put them on the radios it puts them in even more danger that sheriff and others who though of this plan are dumb $#%@#$%.

 

[firerick100]

I live in Ct and we have 4 cities in the entire state that is full time encrypted and my on town has the ability to do it but they decided against it because they stated there are cases that the public can assist by monitoring can report any criminal activity in our neighborhood. the ct state police is not encrypted except for one secure channel for administration--even the swat team is un encrypted.

NOW! in all my years of scanning and watching the news and reading newspapers I never heard of any instances that an officer was killed or injured because the criminal listened to the scanner-if someone wanted to harm an officer they don't need a scanner to do it, the higher ups are using this as an excuse to waste money on encryption and they don't want us listening to them, this might bite them is the a$# when they need assistance from the Georgia a state police during a high speed chase or even worse..

 

[marcp90]

Wish more agencies would take the side of the guy who wrote this article.

Panel: P25 encryption is not for everyone | P25 content from Urgent Communications

 

[MTS2000des]

well, when you spend some time looking at the GBI's press releases over the last few years, you'll notice more corruption in governments (including police and sheriff's offices) in the southern portion of our state. It's what we do best here in Gawga, so yeah, no shocker that a bunch of squidbillies want to go incognito over the radio and will spend hundreds of thousands for the ability to do so:

Press Releases | Georgia Bureau of Investigation

Interoperability? Hah. That's funny. Really. Not in this backwoods state. Not in this century. If they could get away with it here, slavery would still be lawful, and women would still "know their place"....get the picture?

 

[lep]

well, when you spend some time looking at the GBI's press releases over the last few years

Yet I notice the only way we know what the GBI is doing is by reading press releases. That's right the GBI has been encrypted for many years, long before any other Agencies in Georgia even heard of or thought about encryption. There is a regional office in my city, why? the first GBI director was from my town and he didn't want to go to Atlanta every single day to go to work. So while there is an Office here, the only way I know what (if) anything they are doing is to read one of their press releases.

Yes, we also have a GSP Post here and yes, they are on the 800 MHz local trunking system, and also on the regional 700 MHz trunking system, and on the old 154 MHz frequencies. And Yes, they have no problem in communicating with my local S.O. who is encrypted on 700 Mhz.

Seems the radios available today have capabilities beyond what a lot of scanner listeners believe.

 

[procopper7005]

The GSP troopers assigned to the area I work do carry P25 700/800 portables which are programmed with local TG's....but none of them are capable of encryption, they can only talk on TG's which are in the clear.

Unless Albany is buying and programming portables with encryption for GSP troopers or patching talk groups.

Where I work everyone still talks to VHF analog car to car for almost all mutual aid situations, GSP included.

 

[lep]

The GSP troopers assigned to the area I work do carry P25 700/800 portables which are programmed with local TG's....but none of them are capable of encryption, they can only talk on TG's which are in the clear.

Unless Albany is buying and programming portables with encryption for GSP troopers or patching talk groups.

Where I work everyone still talks to VHF analog car to car for almost all mutual aid situations, GSP included.

Obviously they don't have the latest technology, I often hear the GPS dispatcher, after a license check, ask the inquiring trooper, "do you want me to send the drivers license photo to you?" And, they can. They can also see on their console the location of the GSP cars throughout the Troop area.

Chatham/Effingham/Bryan/Bulloch/Long/Liberty (and a couple of counties south of Brunswick are all on the 700 MHz P-25 SEGARRN system. GSP can, and does. talk directly with local units as needed. The only county that is ENC is Bulloch and they are in a different Troop. The County units can be ENC on their own TGs or not ENC on the TGs of the other counties. It seems to be preprogrammed to sense which is which.
I have not heard GSP ENC (but then I wouldn't necessarily know one way or the other).

For what it's worth, GSP units in my area, regardless of the voice ID on the air, are all being dispatched from Brunswick. So, even though you may hear on the air "This is GSP Hinesville, Post 11", that station is being remoted from Brunswick.
GSP is often involved in 'speeding and/or chases' in Savannah and can liase directly with SCMPD (Savannah Chatham Metro Police Department). Post 42 moved out of Savannah years ago and is now located in Rincon, GA (voice ID "GSP Rincon". Again though that is what you hear on the radio, the transmitter is being remote controlled from Brunswick although that is never mentioned on the air.

 

[N4GKS]

always count on the mouth breather central run redneck towns and cities in this state to "keep us safe from terrorists" by running full time encryption. I can hear these high school dropouts talking through their neck fat about "this keeps Al QAIDA from listin' in to our radio channels."

Squidbillies if there ever were..headline should read "Dougal County goes scrambled so we can't hear the corrupt sheriff's office coordinating the next minority beatings or planting drugs on unsuspecting travelers' passing through"

You sound like one of the "I smell bacon" crowd, and it seems as if your dislike of the law enforcement in that county started long before encryption.

 

[MTS2000des]

You sound like one of the "I smell bacon" crowd, and it seems as if your dislike of the law enforcement in that county started long before encryption.

Well you don't know me, so why don't you keep your personal attacks to yourself.

If you did, you'd know that I am about the most pro-law enforcement guy, but my love of the Constitution is also much greater, and I have no tolerance for anyone who snubs it- some do wear badges. And we need to eliminate them from the profession. I live in a county who's county PD has a reputation for "prudent aggression" but they are fair with everyone, and they have a court system to back it up. We also have a citizens ethics review board recently created to oversee and ensure that our great county doesn't become like others in this state where the cops beat people (especially minorities), hide evidence, etc.

No wonder my county (which is one of the largest in the state population wise) does NOT run encryption (except on SWAT and a few CID talkgroups), is leading the way with building inter-governmental agreements with our radio system, and doesn't have county commissioners serving time in club Fed.

It isn't that way in other parts of this state, sad to say.

 

[radiomanNJ1]

Encryption is now free. If your agency purchases APX series radios ADP encryption is included. If the intent to to keep the scanner people out including the annoying press there is no cost.
Agencies that buy AES encryption which is a much higher level have a much greater cost.

Jeklyll Island GSP troopers have their own TG on the Glynn Co. system dispatched by Brunswick.
The Brunswick Post also uses the Glynn Co. system on a different TG for Glynn Co. activities.

There is no use South of Brunswick on SEGRDN. Camden Co. the enforcer of I-95 is still on VHF. I wonder if they ever patrol their local roads?

 

[lep]

Camden County is a Member Jurisdiction of SEGARRN, the Camden representative to the SEGARRN board is: Adam Kabasakaklian. who is listed as "director of strategic planning of Camden. Bulloch was a member for several years before there was enough funding to construct site #103 in Bulloch county.
I am not aware of the plans for Camden but I also recall the Liberty County took several years to construct and deploy their addition to the network, so while the fact that Camden *is* a member country suggests they are participating in the development.