With work on the new 700mhz Portland public safety radio system ongoing, I'm wondering if or when they plan to go encrypted. Does anyone know if that's part of their plan?
There was an interesting op-ed in The Oregonian suggesting that, while encryption may be reasonable for some more sensitive police activities - like undercover operations - routine traffic should be available for the public and media outlets, via currently available scanners. Listening to the scanner: It's possible to serve public interest and avoid undercutting the cops | OregonLive.com
Quoting from the article, "Eugene's solution of shutting out the public shouldn't be Portland's or any other municipality's in Oregon. For that reason, it makes sense to start the conversation now so that Portland and other Oregon cities can take a more measured approach that protects not only the police but the public interest, too."
This seems reasonable to me too... that the public should have some input as to what will or will not be encrypted in the future. I've read that we are not really supposed to complain about encryption in these forums... and I hope that it is clear this is not my intent. (And please forgive me in advance, because I honestly hope I'm not overstepping any boundaries) Rather, what I'm trying to do is 1) find out from the RR community IF encryption is a "done deal" and a foregone conclusion... ie, whether it's inevitable or not, based on what people are have heard; and 2) whether anyone has given thought to the idea of politically organizing on some level to make sure our voices on this issue are heard.
In other words.... since we live in a democracy, one would think we have the inherent right to make our opinions known, and be involved in the legislative process. And so perhaps "getting the ball rolling" to let the Portland City Council and other metro area government boards (like the Multnomah County Commission, etc) know that the public should STILL have the right to monitor at least SOME of the public airwaves, even if encryption comes. Again, I have no problem with certain dedicated channels or talkgroups being encrypted, for sensitive matters, like undercover ops or drugs and vice. And it is reasonable for some federal agencies to be encrypted as well (some already are), like the FBI, Secret Service, or others dealing with national security. But "routine daily operations" for police and fire should not be, in my opinion.
Please feel free to respectfully disagree, but this is what I think. If the entire Multnomah County public safety network goes 100 percent encrypted, we won't even be able to hear the parks department or water bureau, among others. Thus, I tend to agree with what another RR forum member once wrote when s/he said, "In God we trust.... all others we monitor." And in the event of a natural disaster, or other immediate dangers to the public - like a train derailment (just to take one), where toxic chlorine gas is about to go downwind into residential neighborhoods - it is the scanning community that will be the first to know.... AND therefore, the first to be able to alert those around them to evacuate. Reverse 911 calls cannot go out fast enough to respond to a public emergency like that.... but the scanning community CAN. So in my mind, keeping the public airwaves "truly public" - with the freedom to listen in - is an integral part of public safety. Not to mention, even if "nothing big is happening," and it's just another normal day, being able to monitor helps to provide some level of accountability for public agencies, like the police.
After all, in theory, the PUBLIC owns the airwaves, and we are supposed to have a system of open government. The Freedom of Information Act gives the public the right to access government documents. So shouldn't the public be able to retain full access to the public airwaves as well?
If a grassroots campaign were started now - building the groundwork to inform our political representatives about the value of keeping these airwaves OPEN for monitoring - perhaps we can "make a difference" by preventing this trend of encryption from spreading further than reason may dictate it should go. Rather than having them go "100 percent encrypted with everything," for example, perhaps we can build momentum for a reasonable and fair compromise. One idea would be to encourage politicians to allow sensitive channels and talkgroups to be encrypted... but to urge them to keep the others open. Routine police communications, for example, should still be available to scanning enthusiasts. OR... if that doesn't fly, perhaps we can suggest that that scanner owners be licensed as HAM operators - as New York and Florida have done - and that they undergo a background check before "earning" the right to listen in. That would seem like a reasonable middle ground, if all else fails. That being said, I'd rather see it all kept open - except the sensitive channels - so that no one needs a license at all. But.... if that won't pass muster, then perhaps the idea of "licensing the listeners" will. It would certainly be a reasonable compromise.
I'm deeply concerned that if we don't begin to organize ourselves for action now, we'll end up with an "all or nothing approach" from government agencies.... with "nothing" being the end result. In other words, if it's ALL encrypted, then we who love this hobby end up with "nothing," and we're left to monitor only "lesser airwaves" like tow trucks, Target employees, and garbage collectors. And where is the real "public accountability" in that? Not to mention, it would essentially destroy the heart of the scanning hobby...
Does anyone have any thoughts on this? I hope I'm not stepping on anybody's toes here, or offending anyone.... but I simply don't think it's a good idea to consider encryption inevitable, and to "roll over" and let it happen without at least a few reasonable checks and balances being put into place. Indeed, if we do not make our voices and opinions known in the public arena, I fear that this undesirable "inevitability" will become our impending reality... and this freedom to "listen in" will be lost... before anyone realizes just how much of our freedom is gone.
There was an interesting op-ed in The Oregonian suggesting that, while encryption may be reasonable for some more sensitive police activities - like undercover operations - routine traffic should be available for the public and media outlets, via currently available scanners. Listening to the scanner: It's possible to serve public interest and avoid undercutting the cops | OregonLive.com
Quoting from the article, "Eugene's solution of shutting out the public shouldn't be Portland's or any other municipality's in Oregon. For that reason, it makes sense to start the conversation now so that Portland and other Oregon cities can take a more measured approach that protects not only the police but the public interest, too."
This seems reasonable to me too... that the public should have some input as to what will or will not be encrypted in the future. I've read that we are not really supposed to complain about encryption in these forums... and I hope that it is clear this is not my intent. (And please forgive me in advance, because I honestly hope I'm not overstepping any boundaries) Rather, what I'm trying to do is 1) find out from the RR community IF encryption is a "done deal" and a foregone conclusion... ie, whether it's inevitable or not, based on what people are have heard; and 2) whether anyone has given thought to the idea of politically organizing on some level to make sure our voices on this issue are heard.
In other words.... since we live in a democracy, one would think we have the inherent right to make our opinions known, and be involved in the legislative process. And so perhaps "getting the ball rolling" to let the Portland City Council and other metro area government boards (like the Multnomah County Commission, etc) know that the public should STILL have the right to monitor at least SOME of the public airwaves, even if encryption comes. Again, I have no problem with certain dedicated channels or talkgroups being encrypted, for sensitive matters, like undercover ops or drugs and vice. And it is reasonable for some federal agencies to be encrypted as well (some already are), like the FBI, Secret Service, or others dealing with national security. But "routine daily operations" for police and fire should not be, in my opinion.
Please feel free to respectfully disagree, but this is what I think. If the entire Multnomah County public safety network goes 100 percent encrypted, we won't even be able to hear the parks department or water bureau, among others. Thus, I tend to agree with what another RR forum member once wrote when s/he said, "In God we trust.... all others we monitor." And in the event of a natural disaster, or other immediate dangers to the public - like a train derailment (just to take one), where toxic chlorine gas is about to go downwind into residential neighborhoods - it is the scanning community that will be the first to know.... AND therefore, the first to be able to alert those around them to evacuate. Reverse 911 calls cannot go out fast enough to respond to a public emergency like that.... but the scanning community CAN. So in my mind, keeping the public airwaves "truly public" - with the freedom to listen in - is an integral part of public safety. Not to mention, even if "nothing big is happening," and it's just another normal day, being able to monitor helps to provide some level of accountability for public agencies, like the police.
After all, in theory, the PUBLIC owns the airwaves, and we are supposed to have a system of open government. The Freedom of Information Act gives the public the right to access government documents. So shouldn't the public be able to retain full access to the public airwaves as well?
If a grassroots campaign were started now - building the groundwork to inform our political representatives about the value of keeping these airwaves OPEN for monitoring - perhaps we can "make a difference" by preventing this trend of encryption from spreading further than reason may dictate it should go. Rather than having them go "100 percent encrypted with everything," for example, perhaps we can build momentum for a reasonable and fair compromise. One idea would be to encourage politicians to allow sensitive channels and talkgroups to be encrypted... but to urge them to keep the others open. Routine police communications, for example, should still be available to scanning enthusiasts. OR... if that doesn't fly, perhaps we can suggest that that scanner owners be licensed as HAM operators - as New York and Florida have done - and that they undergo a background check before "earning" the right to listen in. That would seem like a reasonable middle ground, if all else fails. That being said, I'd rather see it all kept open - except the sensitive channels - so that no one needs a license at all. But.... if that won't pass muster, then perhaps the idea of "licensing the listeners" will. It would certainly be a reasonable compromise.
I'm deeply concerned that if we don't begin to organize ourselves for action now, we'll end up with an "all or nothing approach" from government agencies.... with "nothing" being the end result. In other words, if it's ALL encrypted, then we who love this hobby end up with "nothing," and we're left to monitor only "lesser airwaves" like tow trucks, Target employees, and garbage collectors. And where is the real "public accountability" in that? Not to mention, it would essentially destroy the heart of the scanning hobby...
Does anyone have any thoughts on this? I hope I'm not stepping on anybody's toes here, or offending anyone.... but I simply don't think it's a good idea to consider encryption inevitable, and to "roll over" and let it happen without at least a few reasonable checks and balances being put into place. Indeed, if we do not make our voices and opinions known in the public arena, I fear that this undesirable "inevitability" will become our impending reality... and this freedom to "listen in" will be lost... before anyone realizes just how much of our freedom is gone.
