Grand County Public Safety Radio Communications Transfer to Encryption

[abqscan]

Grand County Public Safety Radio Communications Transfer to Encryption

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 20, 2026GRAND COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY RADIO COMMUNICATIONS TRANSFER TO ENCRYPTIONGRAND COUNTY, CO -The Grand County Communications Center announces that effective May 22, 2026, c

www.co.grand.co.us

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 20, 2026

GRAND COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY RADIO COMMUNICATIONS TRANSFER TO ENCRYPTION

GRAND COUNTY, CO -The Grand County Communications Center announces that effective May 22, 2026, countywide public safety radio communications, including law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services, will transition to an encrypted radio platform.

This change is being implemented to enhance responder safety, protect sensitive information, and reduce the risk of public safety radio traffic being misused, misinterpreted, or shared without context.

Public safety radio systems are used every day to coordinate emergency response, share incident information, request resources, and protect the safety of residents, visitors, and first responders. During these transmissions, responders may need to communicate sensitive details, including names, addresses, medical information, vehicle information, victim or witness information, tactical response details, and officer or responder locations.

In recent years, publicly accessible radio traffic has increasingly been rebroadcast through online scanner feeds, mobile applications, and AI-enabled monitoring platforms. Some platforms advertise real-time alerts, automated summaries, and live AI transcription of public safety radio traffic. While these tools may appear convenient, automated transcription and interpretation are not always accurate, particularly when radio traffic includes background noise, overlapping transmissions, emergency terminology, abbreviations, street names, or rapidly changing incident details.

Inaccurate or incomplete information shared publicly can create confusion, spread misinformation, compromise active emergency responses, and negatively impact victims, witnesses, and families before official information is confirmed. Public radio traffic can also be monitored by individuals attempting to avoid law enforcement, interfere with emergency response, or determine the location and movement of officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, and other responders.

Real World Examples from Other Public Safety Agencies:

● Shop with a Cop" Misinterpretation (Bend, Oregon): An AI scanner app monitoring police dispatch mistook an officer's radio mention of a "Shop with a Cop" charity event for "shot with a Cop". The app published a false alert suggesting an officer had been shot in the line of duty, creating significant panic for families and the community.

● Training Exercise Escalation (Frederick, Colorado): An AI app pushed out a public alert warning residents about a major "commercial blaze" downtown. The AI had overheard radio traffic from a local fire department conducting a structural fire training drill and reported it as an active emergency.

● School Shooting Hallucination (Mount Vernon, Missouri): An AI bot monitoring police frequencies interpreted a deputy stating "I'm out at the elementary school" as "shots at the elementary school". The app sent out a false active shooting alert to parents before law enforcement intervened to dispel the rumor.

● Widespread CrimeRadar Errors: Multiple police departments across the US warned about the AI app CrimeRadar after it generated misleading alerts. The app routinely misheard addresses, failed to distinguish between domestic calls and random kidnappings, and published sensationalized blog-style posts based on incomplete, preliminary chatter.

Encryption will help protect the integrity of emergency communications while reducing the risk that sensitive information could be used for fraud, identity theft, harassment, retaliation, or other criminal activity. The transition is also intended to safeguard personal and medical information shared during emergency calls and to support safer, more effective response across Grand County.

The Grand County Communications Center recognizes the important role of local journalism in keeping the community informed. In accordance with Colorado law, including C.R.S. § 24-6-502, which addresses public broadcast of governmental radio communications and requires law enforcement agencies that encrypt all radio communications to create a communications access policy in collaboration with Colorado-based media outlets, the Communications Center will provide Sky-Hi News with a designated radio for its newsroom. This radio will allow continued access to the primary public safety dispatch channel, subject to applicable media-access agreements, credentialing, operational safeguards, and restrictions on the rebroadcast or misuse of sensitive information. Colorado law specifically contemplates media access to primary dispatch channels through radio receivers, scanners, or other feasible technology, and allows reasonable restrictions and credential verification as part of that access policy.

This radio is being provided in good faith to preserve transparency and support responsible reporting while also protecting victims, patients, witnesses, responders, and active emergency operations. The Communications Center will continue to follow applicable provisions of the Colorado Open Records Act and the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act, which provide separate processes for requesting public and criminal justice records.

The encryption change will affect general public access to live radio traffic for Grand County public safety communications. It will not change how residents request emergency assistance. Community members should continue to call 911 for emergencies and 970-725-3311 for non-emergency public safety assistance.

The Grand County Communications Center and partner public safety agencies remain committed to providing timely, accurate, and verified public information through official channels. Residents are encouraged to rely on official updates from Grand County, local law enforcement, fire protection districts, emergency medical services, emergency management, and trusted local media during significant incidents.

 

[scanlist]

Grand County has dropped a brutal reality check on why they made the decision to go full secure with everything
public safety and the reasons they cite are legitimate. And may be the new template for other agencies to follow.

A.I. interpretation is flawed at best and is accelerating the demise of the hobby. Grand County's citing incidents of this
adds to their reasoning of flipping the switch.

Give them credit for complying with the state CRS with a local media outlet. Something unheard of by a majority
of agencies in the Eastern front range.

It's unfortunate that we are at this point.

.

 

[Wazowski]

Grand County has dropped a brutal reality check on why they made the decision to go full secure with everything
public safety and the reasons they cite are legitimate. And may be the new template for other agencies to follow.

A.I. interpretation is flawed at best and is accelerating the demise of the hobby. Grand County's citing incidents of this
adds to their reasoning of flipping the switch.

Give them credit for complying with the state CRS with a local media outlet. Something unheard of by a majority
of agencies in the Eastern front range.

It's unfortunate that we are at this point.

.

These agencies will use any excuse in the book to encrypt. We have been at this "point" for several years.

 

[bunangst]

These agencies will use any excuse in the book to encrypt. We have been at this "point" for several years.

Brought to you by the internet, streaming, scanner apps, and now AI...change my mind...I'll wait

 

[AB5ID]

Brought to you by the internet, streaming, scanner apps, and now AI...change my mind...I'll wait

Your not wrong, but there is no stopping it. Stream baby stream.

 

[UAT_978]

Your not wrong, but there is no stopping it. Stream baby stream.

And that will cause them to encrypt baby encrypt and we all lose.

 

[bunangst]

Your not wrong, but there is no stopping it. Stream baby stream.

For what reason...your convenience? Popularity contest? A thank you for your service? Likes? Meh...never mind. If you don't get the point now, it's already too late.

 

[KirumiTojo]

The AI app that is making many agencies across the US encrypt all of their radio traffic is sponsored by this very website FYI...

 

[bunangst]

The AI app that is making many agencies across the US encrypt all of their radio traffic is sponsored by this very website FYI...

Yeah, I don't mind discussing that.

 

[scanlist]

AB5ID said: "Your not wrong, but there is no stopping it. Stream baby stream."

Obvious troll is obvious.

For what reason...your convenience? Popularity contest? A thank you for your service? Likes? Meh...never mind. If you don't get the point now, it's already too late.

Don't you dare advocate taking away any of the ham bands for re-allocation to LMR or Public Safety it makes these types go ballistic.

.

 

[scanlist]

We have been at this "point" for several years.

Actually several decades with Denver starting this trend in December 1992 with EDACS and restricting media access.

.

 

[jthorpe]

I lived in Colorado for a long time. Grew up listening during the VHF and UHF days in Denver and all over the place. The common theme was don't tell people about what you're hearing so as not to cause a public issue, incorrect response or rumors that weren't valid. Even as a kid I understood why this needed to be that way.

Fast forward to now, where everyone seems to think it's okay to re-broadcast and talk about every single thing they hear over the radio, much of it being incorrect info. I have programmed radios for a large radio system in NC and now I manage another department's radios. We encrypted a lot of traffic, especially after the Floyd riots in 2020 where guys were flanking our responders all while listening to Broadcastify.

The reasons for doing this aren't an excuse. They are legitimate and it's going to continue. As a hobbyist and retired Trooper, I agree with encryption because people are too stupid to keep their mouth shut. I am glad we encrypted several of our channels and if I get my way, ALL of them will move there eventually. Not because I want to, but because we have to.

It's a new world, and we've had to combat this crap for years because once again, people can't keep their mouth shut.

Too late now. You can never turn back this ship. It has sailed and is full speed ahead.

 

[mmckenna]

It's a new world, and we've had to combat this crap for years because once again, people can't keep their mouth shut.

Yup. Going through this locally.

Along with those that cannot keep their mouth shut are those that refuse to pay attention to the DOJ requirements. They'll shove their fingers deep into their ears while yelling "la, la, la, I can't hear you" and ignoring what people are trying to tell them.

Ship: Sailed.

 

[scanlist]

It's a matter of time for us in Weld County considering everything including Talkgroups with TAC and PII are being rebroadcast online.

Something something calls.

I was under the impression these types of communications were verboten for feeds.

In our pursuit of matching the changes in the radio technology over the decades we ended up causing the demise of the hobby.

If I get the ban-hammer for pointing this out so be it.

.

 

[jthorpe]

In our pursuit of matching the changes in the radio technology over the decades we ended up causing the demise of the hobby.



.

No truer statement can ever be told about this subject.

 

[rbrtklamp2]

I've been saying this for the last five maybe 10 years. And every post I ever wrote got demolished by moderators. I just lost the hobby in my area because of a man who won't stop posting frequency info and broadcasting live poloce traffic (you know who you are). Having a database of live freqs was great but when the whole streaming thing came into play that was a money grab that also killed our hobby. You can stream yourself a private feed that no one else can hear from proscan and other platforms. Streaming was 100% about money and not our hobby. There's no reason you have to hear California police in New York or Chicago all of which have encrypted as well. Greed, and the need for attention led us hear then we said if you out your local emergency services on a stream live you get a free account and the owner of that streaming platform gets paid, seems fair lol. I have had at least two mods on this thread delete my previous posts on this topic now they seem to agree. When it hits close to home you start to understand huh? Write your representives and make your voice heard that streaming public safety radio on the internet should be illegal and they need to amend the communications privacy act for the modern day. It maybe to late for a lot of us but we can save the hobby for someone else, somewhere else if possible. I really looked forward to passing this hobby on to my kids. It really made me respect the local and state first responders more by hearing what they went through on a daily basis also I knew where trouble was and could avoid it. Sorry for the long post but I've been saying this for a very long time but now people seem to see it for themselves now. Stop the loud mouth people who have to post everything they find at the drop of a hat before they even know what it's use is and the services that stream live and delayed audio they've both killed our hobby off.

 

[KirumiTojo]

I've been saying this for the last five maybe 10 years. And every post I ever wrote got demolished by moderators. I just lost the hobby in my area because of a man who won't stop posting frequency info and broadcasting live poloce traffic (you know who you are). Having a database of live freqs was great but when the whole streaming thing came into play that was a money grab that also killed our hobby. You can stream yourself a private feed that no one else can hear from proscan and other platforms. Streaming was 100% about money and not our hobby. There's no reason you have to hear California police in New York or Chicago all of which have encrypted as well. Greed, and the need for attention led us hear then we said if you out your local emergency services on a stream live you get a free account and the owner of that streaming platform gets paid, seems fair lol. I have had at least two mods on this thread delete my previous posts on this topic now they seem to agree. When it hits close to home you start to understand huh? Write your representives and make your voice heard that streaming public safety radio on the internet should be illegal and they need to amend the communications privacy act for the modern day. It maybe to late for a lot of us but we can save the hobby for someone else, somewhere else if possible. I really looked forward to passing this hobby on to my kids. It really made me respect the local and state first responders more by hearing what they went through on a daily basis also I knew where trouble was and could avoid it. Sorry for the long post but I've been saying this for a very long time but now people seem to see it for themselves now. Stop the loud mouth people who have to post everything they find at the drop of a hat before they even know what it's use is and the services that stream live and delayed audio they've both killed our hobby off.

There's a guy who claims to be an "independent journalist" in North Dakota and Minnesota who does this. Law enforcement absolutely hates the guy and he also releases names of victims in high profile incidents from scanner traffic. Pretty sure this guy is the real reason of why all North Dakota and Minnesota law enforcement traffic is going 100% encrypted. Fargo had to encrypt all fire and Sanford EMS traffic because of him too.

 

[rbrtklamp2]

There's something wrong with people like that. They always have to be the most important person speaking. Those people are dangerous and they like the sound of their own voice to much. Like I said there's an IL mod that just doesn't shut up. This guy's posts to local scanner groups and then posts here too 🙄. I just can't fathom that you see everything and its mother going encrypted, killing your hobby and you just keep going showning us you do not care about anything but being heard. Almost feel sorry for them if they weren't killing our hobby. Like I said earlier this hobby made me realize how much our local local authorities go through and also being able to know what was happening in your neighborhood was a truly wonderful thing people even helped the police when they could. I truly wanted to pass this hobby on to my kid but everything will be gone by the time she would be interested. If people could learn to think before they act and work with even a little discretion enc wouldn't have been so rampant. I will never understand why people shed light on things that were meant to stay private. Especially posting sensitive info, frequencies and Hosting live streaming sevice making it even easier for criminals to stay up to date with the police. The common sense is gone and we're left with some of the most incredibly selfish people out there all because they have to heard. "I Found a dmr channel, I found this, I found that." Just shut your trap and maybe it will slow the spread for the need for enc. But there's always that one person who has to be the center of attention. Also the incident pager network if its still around is just as bad as that site that streams love police comms that no one is allowed to talk about. Hobbies dead in my area, but I hope that if you do enjoy this hobby that your channels stay clear, and you enjoy it while you can.

 

[scanlist]

Monetizing content is the motivation that enables these types that follow and interfere with public safety that get payouts for number of clicks and views otherwise these attention seeking types would not be engaging in this type of behaviour. Same goes for so-called "auditors".

Monetization in many forms has accelerated this situation and the payouts will eventually end.

Current P25 systems will eventually age out. Next generation comm systems that are currently in the works will be 100% secure and the $1K+ scanners will be collecting dust.

I give the hobby around 10 years before most that is left to monitor is Aircraft, unencrypted Rail, FRS/GMRS and ham radio.

The constant rants here about the encryption subject we get it. There is nothing that can be done about it. The majority of attempts to get agencies involved to change their decision goes nowhere it's a fact of life at this point. You might get a statement noted for the public record and that's about as far as it will go during a city, state or county public comment session.

Quoting an old country song. "Turn off the lights the party's over".

.